


Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgment

by shadowsofvanity



Series: The Hand Duology [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BDSM, F/M, Free!Sirius, Harems, Heir!Harry, Independent!Harry, Multi, VeryPowerful!Harry, grey!Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-23
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2017-12-21 01:57:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 65,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/894453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowsofvanity/pseuds/shadowsofvanity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sirius Black was given fair trial, and found not guilty. Together, he and his wife, Marlene Black nee McKinnon, raised Harry alongside their own children, preparing him for the time that he would have to battle Voldemort for the survival of the world. Joined by a group of beautiful and talented witched, and loyal comrades, he will set out to deliver Judgment with a just and even Hand. His Hand. The Hand of Judgment.</p><p>Harry/Harem, Grey!Harry.</p><p>Pending Eventual Rewrite, this Story Is Unlikely To Receive Updates. However, It Will Remain Posted For People To Read As They See Fit</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolouge

EDITED AS OF 8/23/12

A/N: Shadow here, just writing down a thought that I had. I have recently been reading some Harry/harems, and I thought it would be entertaining to do one myself. Mature Content will be subject to change on the base of the majority of desires shown by reviews. What the people want, they will likely get.

We will not be meeting the harem right away, because this story is somewhat AU in the beginning and I have to set the stage, as it were.

This fiction will feature Smart!Harry, Super!Harry. Independant!Leader!Harry. Good, slightly naive Dumbledore. Heavy Ron/Percy/Fudge Bashing, with light to moderate Molly bashing as well.

Harry will also have his own faction later on, just to warn you if you are a big fan of Dumbledore's "Forgive and Forget" way of fighting the war.

P.S. Harry and Co. may be a little OOC, for reasons that will become clear. When certain events occur, our heroes will be stronger and harder than they are in canon. They always struck me as somewhat weak-minded when it came to the realities of fighting a war. They won't be Dark, though. Just….militaristic. Cold-blooded, perhaps, but never Dark.

Many thanks to my genius beta, Dragon-Raptor. When you get a chance, go check out his stuff, it's freaking epic!

Disclaimer: My mother owns my food, my school/homework owns my life, and the estimable J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter…REGRETS!

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of Justice

Chapter One

Prologue

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

"Why did you do it, Peter?" Sirius snarled at his cowering ex-friend. "How could you betray Lily and James? How could you do that to your best friends?"

"He was growing stronger all the time!" Peter shouted back angrily. "What could possibly be gained by standing against him?"

Shocked, sad, and furious beyond belief, Sirius glared hatefully at the man responsible for the deaths of James and Lily Potter. He had never dreamed that Peter would betray them! They were the Marauders, the best of friends… brothers in all but blood!

"Innocent lives, Peter, innocent lives!" he hissed, raising his wand. "Peter Pettigrew, as a member of the Auror office, I hereby place you under arrest for treason, Dark Magic, murder, accessory to murder, and betraying your friends."

"Not happening, Sirius! I have no intention of rotting in Azkaban or getting the Kiss!" Peter smirked, before transforming into a rat. He scampered towards the sewers, clearly intending to lose himself among the rats that lived there, but Sirius proved to be too fast.

" _Accio Wormtail!_ " he cried, and Peter flew towards him, squeaking madly. Holding him firmly in one hand, Sirius ignored the bites and scratches the desperate man inflicted on him and conjured a small cage, which he shoved the rat into. With another wave of his wand, he made it unbreakable, so that he couldn't shift to human and escape it. Running footsteps came from behind him and a familiar voice shouted.

"Hold it right there, Black! Drop the wand and put your hands in the air!" ordered Junior Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, his voice an interesting mix of triumph and anger. Sirius carefully complied, though he kept holding onto the cage.

"What's going on, Shacklebolt?" He called back, turning to face the man. There he stood, accompanied by four more Aurors and a pair of Hit-Wizards.

"You're under arrest, suspected of betraying the Potters to You-Know-Who. You are to be taken to the Ministry to await trial!" the rookie Auror replied in his deep, slow voice as he conjured magical handcuffs around Sirius' hands.

"Fine, but that rat comes. He is a significant part in my defense." Sirius said, nodding agreeably. "I assure you, I would never have betrayed them."

The Aurors were confused by his request, but agreed nonetheless. The two Hit-Wizards grabbed Sirius' arms and Apparated away, one holding the cage in his other hand. Meanwhile, Kingsley led his team back to the wreckage of the Potter's cottage, where they found Albus Dumbledore standing outside the gate staring at the ruined house with tears in his eyes. Taking a deep breath and settling himself-he hated to intrude upon anyone's grief, even if it was on the man's own orders- but he was an Auror, and he had a report to make.

"Professor, sir? We found him, just like you told us to. Black is in custody and one his way to the Ministry." The young man said quietly, and the old man sighed deeply.

"Thank you Kingsley, I appreciate knowing that. His trial will be in two days, so I will need your team ready to testify about how you took him. Is anyone injured?"

"No sir. In fact," Kingsley said, shaking his head in bewilderment. "He came quietly, saying that as long as we took the rat, he didn't mind."

Dumbledore turned to look at Kingsley, a slight frown of confusion and curiosity playing across his face as he looked the Aurors over.

"Rat? You're sure that there was a rat, and he wanted it brought along?" he asked, wanting to be sure he had heard right. He couldn't think of any realistic reason for Sirius to care about a rat, never mind coming quietly over it. Perhaps he really  _was_  insane.

"Yes sir. Said something about it being important to his defense, and that there was no way he would ever betray the Potters. I…" Kingsley was cut off when a thin cry broke the air. Dumbledore's head whipped around so fast Kingsley could swear that he heard a slight  _crack_ from his old teacher's neck.

"Did you hear that?" Dumbledore whispered, staring at the house in shock. Before Kingsley could answer, the cry sounded again, and Dumbledore shoved open the gate and rushed down the path, Kingsley and the other Aurors hot on his heels. Carefully stepping around the corpse of James Potter, they followed the cries to the upper floor. There, in the farthest room from the stairs, they found the crumpled body of Lily Potter. Putting aside his fresh grief-he could grieve for his beloved students and friends later!-he waved his wand with a muttered spell. A small blue light flashed behind some rubble, and Dumbledore waved his wand again, vanishing it. There, in a small pile of blankets, lay a baby boy, who was by now howling at the top of his lungs. Albus stared for a moment at that unruly black hair, and the lightening-bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

"Harry?" He whispered, and Kingsley stepped up next to him, gasping in shock at the sight.

"The baby is…alive? How is this possible?" the young man cried, feeling lost and blindsided.

"I do not know, but I intend to find out." Said Dumbledore, shaking his head slightly. He stooped down and swept the child up in his arms. "Come, we must get to the Ministry. Go to St. Mungo's and bring some healers there. Mr. Black's trial is getting moved up. I want some answers."

With that, the old man turned on the spot, disappearing in a swirl of robes and a small  _crack_.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Two hours later, in the Ministry of Magic, Courtroom Number 10 was filled to bursting with even more people standing in the hallways. They were all there for the same reason: to see the man responsible for the deaths of Lily and James Potter brought to justice. The couple had been well-known, respected, and loved by the magical community for their work as a Healer and Auror, respectively, and the public was out for blood. The news of their deaths had spread fast, announced on a special bulletin on the Wireless in addition to a Special Edition of the  _Daily Prophet_. Dumbledore rose behind the Chief Warlock's podium and shouted for silence.

"People of the Jury, Honorable members of the Wizengamot, assorted listeners in the crowd; I call to order this trial." He said as the crowd quieted and settled into their seats. He gestured to the guards at the door. "Bring forth the prisoner."

The doors opened and Sirius walked surrounded by four Aurors and a pair of halberd-wielding Goblin Elites wearing gleaming Platinum armour. The crowd murmured in surprise at the Goblins, and Dumbledore spoke again.

"These Goblin Elites are here at the request of High-Lord Ragnok, out of respect for the Potters and as his representatives." He explained as the Elites strode past the Aurors to flank a small table before the podium. On the table was a small cradle and two wands. The Aurors moved Sirius into the chair in the center of the courtroom and stepped back. The chains on the chair clinked but did not move to bind him, and the crowd murmured in shock. Dumbledore's eyebrows rose. The chains on the Chair of Trials were spelled to bind only those who were guilty of the crime that they stood accused of. Of course, nothing was infallible, and any convicted criminal had the right to a trial by a jury of peers, but it still gave the court something of a compass heading during a case. The fact that he was not bound did not go unnoticed by the others, and murmurs rippled across the room like a wave. Dumbledore noted with interest that many sounded less hostile and more… confused, or interested. Surprised, for certain. This was sure to be an interesting trial.

"The prisoner, Lord Sirius Orion Black, stands accused of spying for Lord Voldemort, betraying the location of the Potter family, and the use of Dark Magic." Dumbledore said clearly, before gazing down at Black. "How does the defendant plea?"

"Not guilty, Chief Warlock." Came the calm answer, and the crowed rumbled, several people coming to their feet and shouting their disbelief.

"Order, we shall have order in this courtroom! Mr. Black, will you submit to Veritaserum to ensure your honesty in this trial?" Dumbledore said loudly.

"Yes sir, I will." Sirius replied calmly, and the gathered witches and wizards murmured amongst themselves. No one accused of being Dark had ever agreed to Veritaserum before, and had always had to be forced.

After Black had taken two drops of Veritaserum, the questioning had begun.

"Did you or did you not turn traitor and become second in command to Lord Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked.

"I did not."

"Did you or did you not betray Lily and James Potter to Lord Voldemort?"

"Hell no, I would never to that!" Sirius replied, sounding angry at the question despite the calming effect of the Veritaserum.

"Were you or were you not the Secret Keeper for the Potter family?" Dumbledore said, feeling more and more surprised.

"No, we switched at the last minute without telling anyone. We thought that everyone would assume that it was me, and I could draw them away from the real Keeper. The perfect ploy."

"Who was the real Keeper?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

The courtroom exploded into chaos as witches and wizards stood and shouted over and at one another in effort to be heard over the din. As a result, it was another quarter of an hour before the noise had died down enough for Dumbledore to be able to continue.

"Do you know where Peter Pettigrew is now, Mr. Black?" he asked, fully expecting a negative, and was therefore shocked when Black nodded.

"Yes, I do." He said, and Dumbledore sighed in annoyance at the limited answers that those under the influence of Veritaserum were capable of giving.

"Where is that, Mr. Black?"

"Inside the cage I gave those Hit-Wizards. He's a rat Animagus." Black answered, and Dumbledore stared. Of all the answers, positive or negative, this he had not expected! He ordered that the cage be brought before him, in addition to another Chair of Trials. Once they had arrived, Dumbledore performed a complex spell, forcing Pettigrew back into human form. Pettigrew immediately dashed for the door, only to be stopped by a pair of Aurors, who dragged him back and forced him into the second Chair. The chains instantly leapt to life, wrapping themselves around him and binding him to the point of immobility. When the rat refused to take the Veritaserum, Dumbledore ordered the Aurors to give it to him regardless, and also to increase the dosage. Two Aurors forced his head back and held his mouth open as he fought to free himself. A third Auror stepped up to the Chair and dripped three drops of the powerful truth potion into his mouth. His struggles ceased quickly as he dropped into the lethargic indifference brought on by the potion.

One by one, Dumbledore repeated the questions posed to Black, and each time Peter answered in the affirmative. When asked for the reasons that he betrayed them, he said:

"The Dark Lord promised power. I was always the weakest, the least popular. He promised me that  **I** would be the important one, the strong one, as soon as the boy was dead. I would finally get the glory and prestige that I deserve!"

Sirius had leapt to his feet, howling in anger and swearing almost incoherently as several Aurors restrained him from ripping the rat limb from limb, preferably in a slow and painful fashion. After Sirius took a Calming Drought and sat down once more, Dumbledore gestured to a witch wearing the sigil of St. Mungo's on her robes.

"Healer Davis, would you please?"

"Of course, Chief Warlock." The Healer said, walking over to the small table and reaching into the cradle. She carefully picked up what was inside, and turned to face the court.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the surviving Heir to the Potter family, Harry James Potter, is alive and well." She said, and the black-haired baby boy in her arms rustled his blankets and yawned hugely, fat little baby fists shifting as he dreamed. Several of the female audience members cooed at the sight, but Pettigrew flew into a rage. Yelling something in an evil tongue, he broke free of the chains around him and charged at the Healer, intent on killing the baby boy who had destroyed his master. Unfortunately for him, the Goblin Elites were still there. Moving in total unison, they dropped their halberds, drew their swords, and moved in. Smooth as butter, they slid in front of Davis and lashed out at Pettigrew. He howled in agony as the Goblin-made steel bit into him, removing one of his arms and severing the tendons in the other. Lunging forward in tandem, the Elites' blades sang through the air again, and Peter collapsed to the ground as he was hamstrung. The Goblins slid to a halt behind him, and turned back. One kicked out with a booted foot, and shoved him onto his back. Before anyone could stop them-not that any of the onlookers felt particularly inclined to- both Goblins plunged their blades into Peter's chest. They removed them after a moment with a sickening squelching sound, drew out a pair of cleaning clothes, wiped down the blades, and sheathed them before walking back to their halberds. These they picked up and once again both Goblins stood at attention, as though nothing had happened. The stunned crowd stared either at the corpse or the Goblins for several long moments, until Dumbledore was able to compose himself enough to speak.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury and the Wizengamot, while it may seem somewhat superfluous, I ask you to vote. Those in favor of an innocent verdict and clearing of all charges for Lord Black?"

Every hand leapt into the air without hesitation, some before he had even finished speaking.

"Those in favor for the conviction of Peter Pettigrew for the crimes which Black was charged with?"

Again, every hand rose into the air, and several onlookers began to clap, eyes filled with savage satisfaction. Camera bulbs flashed and several among the audience cheered as Sirius was released and his wand returned to him.

Nearly an hour later, Remus Lupin swept into the now almost empty courtroom, and drew Sirius into a tight hug before stepping back. Behind him was a woman with long black hair.

"Remus, Marlene…" Sirius said, looking happily at his only surviving best friend and his girlfriend. Marlene McKinnon pushed past Remus and threw herself into Sirius' arms.

"You stupid prat, how could you do that to me?" she sobbed into his chest. "All they told me was that you had been arrested for betraying Lily and James. Remus came over and tried to make me come, but I couldn't. Then, Shacklebolt came and said that you had been cleared and that it was…was…" At this point, she was no longer able to speak and simply stood there crying. Sirius, held her tight against him, reveling in the feeling of having her in his arms, the smell of her hair….

He turned to Remus, who smiled at him, a little teary-eyed. The two old friends smiled at each other for a moment, a smile that was filled equally with joy and sorrow. Joy that they were each innocent of the horrific betrayal, and sorrow for the results of the betrayal itself.

"Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, Miss McKinnon, if you could join me?" Professor Dumbledore said from behind them, and they turned. The two Goblins were holding out a pair of stones. "These portkeys will take us to Gringotts for the Reading of the Will, which will tell us to whom Harry goes to live with." He gestured to the small bundle of blankets in Healer Davis's arms. Both she and Dumbledore were already touching a portkey.

"Harry? He… he's alive?" Lupin gasped, and Marlene looked equally flabbergasted. "How?"

"I don't know, but I have suspicions, which I will share at another time. Come." Albus replied, and the three crowded around and touched the stones. Each Goblin barked something in Gobbledygook and everything vanished. Instantly, they reappeared in the lobby of Gringott's Bank. They were swiftly brought to a room where a large and ornate throne rested on a modest dais. On the throne sat a regal-looking goblin dressed in bejeweled armor. A massive battleaxe rested head down on the ground beside him, and the shaft rested against his armrest, one finger idly stroking it as he stared at the five adults and one child.

"High-King Ragnok, I did not expect to meet you personally for something like a Will Reading." Dumbledore said, bowing deeply to the supreme ruler of all goblins.

"The Potter's have long been friends and allies of my people, and I was as fond of them as I can be of any of your race. That is why I sent two of my Elites to the trial." The High-King replied. He reeled of a string of Gobbledygook to the aforementioned Elites, who replied, and a harsh smile formed on his face. "They tell me that it was a good thing that they were there, although I never imagined that the criminal would try to harm young Lord Potter inside a crowded courtroom!"

"No one could have expected that, High-King. I am grateful to your Elites for doing what I could not, and defending my Godson." Sirius said quietly, bowing deeply to Ragnok and both Elites.

"No need to thank us, Lord Black. We wish him to grow up without any more hardships than that which he has already suffered." The Goblin King replied, a shadow of sorrow flitting across his face, though he quickly hid it. Goblins did not show emotions, especially before outsiders. He would grieve for his departed friends later. A pity that Voldemort was gone… his great axe, Blooddrinker, had been left unused for far too long. He idly wondered if he could reanimate Pettigrew's corpse to release some emotions on it at his leisure… as many times as he desired… "Incidentally, Chief Warlock, do you know how the traitor freed himself? I thought it was all but impossible?"

"Ah, as to that, I have no concrete answer. However, he did say some interesting words before he freed himself. I can only assume that it was some form of powerful Dark magic, fuelled and made stronger by his rage." Dumbledore said, frowning as he contemplated the possibilities.

"In that case, perhaps there is research to be done to ensure that no other can accomplish the same feat?" suggested Ragnok, and Dumbledore readily agreed.

" _My Lord King, the will reading?"_  murmured an aide from behind his throne, and he shook himself imperceptibly.

"Now, for the reason you are here. Will Keeper Grabclaw, bring forth the Will." He said, and an elderly goblin stepped forward, a scroll in his hands. "Read it for us."

"Yes, Sire." Grabclaw said, unrolling the scroll. Adjusting his glasses, he gazed down at it and, after clearing his throat, began to read.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

**The Will and Last Testament of Lord James Charles Potter and Lady Lillian Marie Potter nee Evans**

**We, being healthy both of mind and body, do declare this to be our Will. All previous drafts are hereby rendered invalid and no longer of importance.**

**Well, now that that's over with, I suppose we're dead. I hope that was a longtime coming, but if not… well, I hope we took a few of those bloody Nibbling bastards with us. Ouch! Lily, don't punch me, I'm just saying it like it is! Anyway, I'll keep this part short since I know Sirius is an impatient fellow! (Don't give me that look, Padfoot! You would be impatient at your own funeral!)** At this point, Sirius had been giving the Will a look that was a cross between hurt and aggravation. He smiled a little at James comment, but sobered quickly as Grabclaw continued.

**Now, if we got caught up to by Voldemort during the war, because someone found our hideout, find Peter Pettigrew and put his head on a goddamn head on a platter. He was our secret keeper, so only he could betray us. If we didn’t die during the war, then you wouldn’t be reading this version of our Will regardless, so it would be a moot point.**

**Now that we established that, onto specific bequests:**

**To Sirius Orion Black: Padfoot, my brother, I leave 1 million galleons and the enchanted Harley. Find some girl to ride with you, mate. Side by side, on your bikes, heading into the distance… that's the life for you, mate!** Sirius nodded in acceptance, although his eyes were more than a little damp.

 **Next, to Remus John Lupin: Moony, my brother, stop being stupid about your furry little problem and get out into the world! Otherwise, I'll come back and haunt you until you do! I leave you 2 million galleons in the hope that you will buy yourself a nice home, and some good clothes. Don't be too hard on yourself, mate!**   **(Quick, somebody catch him!)** Sirius had to do just that as Lupin turned bone white and keeled over sideways from shock. After he was helped back into his seat, Grabclaw resumed reading.

 **To Professor Dumbledore: Well, sir, I couldn't think of what you could possibly want, but I do remember a lament you mentioned many years ago at Christmas. Of course, I was under my cloak at the time, so you didn't know I was there, but still… I leave you 150 pairs of the best woolen socks a man can find, one for each Christmas you didn't receive some! (I guessed on your age.)**  Dumbledore smiled, eyes glistening with tears, yet with a glimmer of their old twinkle. "Not that old, Mr. Potter, but close. And I always knew when you were there…."

**Finally, I leave the rest to my son, Harry James Potter. When he starts to attend Hogwarts, please give him a letter, which Gringott's has. It has a more personal message for him from us. Here's Lily!**

**Hello everyone, Lily at your service! Like James said, everything else goes to Harry. If I might be so bold, Sirius, try and snag Marlene. She hasn't stopped talking about you since fourth year, and I know you've been looking at her since third!** Sirius and Marlene smiled at each other, having taken that advice before the reading. Sirius guessed that this was written sometime close after Harry had been born, because he and Marlene had gotten together a month and a half before… well, tonight.

**Also, this is the line of Guardianship Succession James and I agreed on.**

**First, Sirius Black, who is the Godfather.**

**Second, and only because of the bigoted fools in the Ministry, Remus Lupin. Don't worry Moony, your furry little problem means nothing to us. Try teaming up with Sirius for this!**

**Third, to the Tonks family. They are close friends of ours, and Siri's cousins. Plus, Ted is a Muggle, which will help Harry to be raised in a balanced way.**

**Fourth, to the Bones or the Greengrass families. One is a Light-oriented family, while the Greengrasses are neutral, and Ariala Greengrass is an old friend of mine. Both families have children Harry's age, as well.**

**UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER IS HARRY TO BE PLACED WITH THE DURSLEY FAMILY! THEY HATE MAGIC AND ALL MAGICAL PEOPLE! HARRY WOULD BE ABUSED AND MISTREATED AT BEST IF HE WENT TO THEM! WE WOULD RATHER HE WENT TO AN ORPHANAGE OR ANOTHER FAMILY!**

**Here's James again.**

**Hello all, just back to say a few simple words. We. Love. You. All. We will miss all of you. Don't grieve for us, because we will see you again soon. But not yet…not yet…**

**Lily and James Potter signing off!**

**Mischief Managed**

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

The entire group sat there for nearly ten minutes in silence, before Ragnok finally decided to proceed.

"The funds have been transferred and the items delivered to your homes." He said quietly, ignoring the tears in the human's eyes. Not even he was immune to hearing the will of friends. He turned to Sirius and his manner became formal. "Lord Sirius Orion Black, do you accept Guardianship of Harry James Potter until such times as he comes of age?"

"I, Sirius Orion Black, do swear on my magic and my life to protect and raise Harry James Potter as if he were my own son. So Mote It Be!" A flare of blue-white light flashed as his magic accepted his oath and bound him to it. He smiled at Harry before looking at Marlene and Remus. "Marley, Moony, will you two come with us? I plan to go abroad to raise him, so that when he starts at Hogwarts he won't be ignorant of either world."

"I can't let you go alone, can I?" Marlene said, raising an eyebrow. "Someone has to keep you from turning the boy into a younger and equally decadent version of you three prats!" Sirius grinned cheekily at her and winked in response before turning to Lupin and raising his eyebrows.

"I… can't, old friend. Until that fellow perfects the potion that Professor Dumbledore told me about, my… furry little problem will still be there. Without James there to help with me…" his voice trailed off and he shook his head while Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Then we will bring him to visit you! As his 'Uncle Moony', you have to spoil him rotten, alright?" he said, smiling at his friend, who laughed and agreed readily. Sirius turned to Dumbledore.

"Sir, I'll make sure to bring Harry too Hogwarts, but… could we wait until he would be a second year? I can teach him first year material, and this way I can prepare him for how he will be treated in our world, because of who he is."

"Certainly, as long as you bring him to visit every once in a while, even during the school year. I would like him to meet some people so that he will have friends and other people he know once he is there." Dumbledore said with a smile and a nod. "Make sure to bring him to at least one big feast!"

"Alright then, see you in a while." Sirius said, as Marlene took baby Harry. They Apparated away, and soon the others left as well, leaving Ragnok alone with his feelings. Banishing his aides and guards, and ordering them to ensure he was undisturbed, he released the leash on his emotions. Tears of rage and sorrow flowed down his face and he leapt to his feet. Wielding his great axe, he went on a rampage through the room, destroying everything in his path as he came to grips with his rage and grief.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

That night, Remus Lupin sat in his small flat and cried himself to sleep, mourning the loss of his friends and the betrayal of one whom he called friend. At the next full moon, deep in the Forbidden Forest, a lone werewolf howled his lament at the moon, a deep part of him knowing that something was missing… and that it would always be missing now.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Rubeus Hagrid gazed up at the stars around him as he stood outside the gate of the Longbottom estate. He had just delivered poor little Neville to his distraught grandmother. He brushed away a tear and reached into his pocket, thinking about how four of his greatest friends were dead, or as good as. The Portkey he brought out of his pocket activated with a soft-spoken word, and he vanished, leaving only a profound sense of sorrow behind him.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sat in his office and looked down at the evil book in his hands. It was opened to a chapter called "Horcruxes."

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Maia Davis looked down at the sleeping face of her daughter Tracy, and prayed that the poor Potter boy would be safe and happy from now on, and that her daughter never had to suffer what he had.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Sirius and Marlene Black, recently -as of fifteen minutes ago- married, sat astride their motorcycles, gazing at the baby in Marlene's sidecar for a moment before they kicked the engines to life and roared away.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

All around the country witches and wizards saluted with drinks and whispered: "To Harry Potter! The Boy Who Lived!"

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

A/N: Well, there you have it. 5,072 words of what I hope is fiction-ey goodness. Please review, tell me what you think. I am curious.

REVIEW!

Next chapter will have some overview of the eleven years to pass.

 


	2. The Passing of TIme

EDITED AS OF 8/23/12

A/N: Shadows of Vanity here, with a differant authors note than FF.net has got, saying that I'm cutting most of my author's notes out here because none of you all replied yet, and there ain't a point in leaving replies to reviews from FF.net in the chapter.

**Big shout-out to my Beta, Dragon-Raptor! Go check out his stuff!**

Disclaimer: My mother owns my food, my school/homework owns my life, and the estimable J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter…REGRETS!

Now, on to the second chapter!

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgment

Chapter Two

The Passing of Time

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

"Sirius, do we really have to be here  _before_  the feast? I would much rather visit Uncle Moony  _then_  come here for the FOOD. Its just classes right now." Harry complained as he and his Godfather walked towards the main doors of Hogwarts.

"Now pup, I told you that you need to make some friends before you come here next year. Besides, you would do well to learn all the twists and turns and secret routes if you want to get to class on time." His Godfather said with a grin. "Uncle Moony is busy right now anyway; he will be fine to hang out within a few days."

Harry scowled up at the full moon overhead as if it was responsible for his current situation. Which, in his opinion, it was. Looking back at his Godfather, he tried his next idea.

"I already have friends here, though! Lily and James will be starting soon, and I know all the teachers!"

"James and Lily will be starting next year, as first years, the same as you, although you are going to be a second year. However, you need friends your age! Teachers are all well and good, but during the school year, Filius will not be playing Exploding Snap with you. During the school year he is your teacher, not your 'Uncle'." Sirius replied, and Harry grimaced. He knew that the teachers had to be more distant at school, but he still didn't think it was a great reason why. He'd known them forever, so why not be friendly?

"Fine, fine. I'll go try and find some kids my age then." He muttered as they entered the Entrance Hall. Walking over to the nearest portrait, this one depicting a posing scientist, he smiled and asked.

"Hey, William. How have you been?"

"Just fine Harry, just fine. Looking for the first years?" the portrait replied, smiling back.

"Yeah, Sirius says I should get to know people before next year, when I start coming here." Harry grumbled, and the portrait laughed.

"They're in Charms Harry. And your Godfather is quite right, you should make some friends."

"You're supposed to be on my side William." The youth muttered before walking away as the portrait chortled behind him. Walking through the halls, he found his way to the Charms classroom and knocked. When a familiar, somewhat high-pitched squeak of "Enter!" came from the other side, he pushed the door open and walked through, grinning as he caught sight of his "Uncle" Filius Flitwick, the Charms teacher, perched on a pile of books on the chair behind his desk.

"Harry! Great to see you, my boy! How was Greece?" Flitwick said, keeping an eye on the class even as he spoke.

"Hello, Uncle Filius. Very nice to see you as well." Harry replied, ignoring the class for the moment. "Greece was brilliant, and Sirius was planning on heading over to America after the feast tonight. Florida specifically. Apparently, he wants to go to Disney World." The last was said in a dry but amused tone, and Flitwick shook his head in bemusement. He had no idea what "Disney World" was, but leave it to Sirius Black to go to America for something most people never heard of.

"Well, I assume that you are here to meet some people who will be your year-mates next year?" Flitwick said, and chuckled when he saw his favourite 'nephew' grimace and nod. "You were just coming for the food, weren't you lad?"

"Yes, but Sirius told me meeting people before next year would be a good idea." Harry said, wandering over to one of the desks, where a red-haired boy and a bushy-haired girl were sitting with a feather in front of them. He turned back to Flitwick and raised an eyebrow. "Levitation Charm?"

"Quite right. I would give you points if you were in a house, but…" was the reply, and Harry smirked slightly.

"But I'm not, at least not until next year." he finished, before looking about the classroom, noting both the time and the fact that no one was working. "Mind if I move about and introduce myself while the class works Uncle?"

"Not at all. Now, as I was saying everyone. Use the incantation and the motion we have been practicing! Begin, and remember to swish and flick!"

The room was quickly filled with shouted incantations and flailing arms as the first years tried to make their feathers float in the air. Their efforts were, by and large, met with a resounding lack of success. More than one student had to duck or risk losing an eye to their partners' increasingly desperate attempts. Harry shook his head and grinned at the antics of his soon-to-be year-mates. The Levitation Charm was easy enough. He had learned it a little while ago himself, and found it far simpler than this lot seemed to be. Of course, he did have the advantage over many of them, having been taught magical theory since he was able to understand it so that his practical applications would be that much better. He had loathed Sirius and the Professors for doing it at the time, but now he (secretly) agreed that it had been a good idea. On his second circuit around the room, having stopped to greet several people, he saw that the red-haired boy was in danger of injuring his partner as he wind milled his arms, while yelling the incantation wrong.

Harry grimaced as he started to walk over. The girl needed saving, and the boy needed to be stopped before he mangled the spell badly enough to create accidental magic of dangerous proportions. Before he could get there, however, the girl grabbed his arm and told him to stop. After she corrected him on his pronunciation, he sneered and told her to do it if she was so much better. Harry raised his eyebrows as the girl performed the charm perfectly. The only one in the class who had managed anything at all and she did it flawlessly! Here was someone he could get along with easily, or at least he hoped so. The bell rang and the class left, while Harry ambled along after them after waving goodbye to Flitwick and promising to explain what Disney Land was at dinner. Weaving his way through the crowd, he found himself next to the bushy-haired girl, and was about to introduce himself when words from directly in front of them became audible.

"Stupid bushy-haired, buck-toothed, bossy know-it-all. I mean, it's Halloween. Surely she has noticed that she has no friends at this point in the year!" the red-haired boy was saying to an Irish boy who, if Harry recalled correctly, had caused his feather to explode in his face.

Beside him, the girl abruptly sped up and rushed ahead of everyone, but not before Harry heard a quite sob. Apparently, the Irish boy noticed to.

"Ron, mate, I think that she heard you…."

"So what? Doesn't matter Seamus. I mean, it’s true right?" the boy, Ron, said with a shrug. Harry frowned at his back, not pleased with his attitude. Subtly, he drew his wand and pointed it at the boy, whispering one of the mild hexes Sirius had taught him without telling the Professors.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Ron Weasley yelped as he felt a sharp sting on his ass before it started to burn and itch horribly. He scratched at it uncomfortably as Seamus looked at him sideways before edging away slightly. He flushed slightly and shrugged again uncomfortably, trying to pass it off. Before he could say anything, the black-haired visitor pushed past him, smirking slightly as though enjoying a private joke.

"Who do you think he is, anyway?" Ron asked Seamus, pointing to the rapidly departing figure.

"Are you daft, blind, or just plain stupid?" Seamus asked, looking at him with wide eyes and a disbelieving expression. Ron frowned at him, the comment sounding far too similar to his brother's bullying for his comfort.

"Just answer the question, Seamus. I'm hungry, so my mind is working slower." He said defensively. It was true that he was hungry, after all, but he truly had no idea who that kid was.

"That was Harry Potter, that was! Rumour has it that he has been travelling the world with his godfather, Sirius Black, and that he will be coming here next year!" Seamus said impatiently, but also with a little awe as he watched the black-haired boy disappear from view. "Honestly, don't you ever pay attention to the news?"

"Not really, nothing cool happens on the news." Ron said, shrugging. "Say, did you hear about the Cannon's last game?"

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Ron sat at the Gryffindor table and stared intently at The-Boy-Who-Lived even as he shovelled food into his mouth. Potter was sitting up at the High Table with a long-haired man he assumed was Sirius Black, the godfather, chatting with the teachers like they were old friends. This was his chance to really stick it to his brothers and show them all he was just as good as them! If he became best friends with the Boy-Who-Lived, then his brothers would come back begging for forgiveness and for him to allow them to be friends with Potter. He dimly heard Seamus commenting loudly to Dean Thomas that Hermione Granger, the know-it-all, had been in the girl's bathroom crying since Charms. Scoffing, Ron turned back to the plates in order to fill his plate again, and therefore missed Harry scanning the Gryffindor table with a frown. Just as he was redirecting his attention to Professor McGonagall, with whom he was conversing, the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Quirrel, burst into the Great Hall and ran down the central isle between the House tables.

"TROLL! IN THE DUNGEONS! A TROLL IS IN THE DUNGEONS!" he wailed, sounding about ready to piss his pants, and Harry's head whipped up, his eyes narrowing. Odd, that. Trolls were not known for their excessive intellect, and couldn't have gotten into here of all places by accident. The Professor collapsed to the floor in a dead faint and Harry rolled his eyes. This was the D.A.D.A teacher at  _Hogwarts?_  Pathetic!

All of the younger students that knew what a troll was started screaming, and those who didn't screamed because the others were. The older students, he noticed with a slight smile, seemed to have more backbone. They were trying to calm the younger ones, although it was ineffectual at best. Abruptly, several deafening  _bang_ s sounded as the Headmaster drew his wand and caused purple firecrackers to erupt from his wand, shocking the student population into silence.

"Prefects, take your Houses back to their dormitories AT ONCE! Myself and the other teachers will move to the dungeons immediately to deal with the Troll!" he said, loud and commanding voice washing over them like a wave. He turned to Sirius, eyebrows raised, and Sirius rolled his eyes before standing.

"Of course, Albus. I will join you. I am insulted that you thought to ask!" he said, sounding a trifle miffed. "Harry, you go with the Gryffindors, understand?"

"Alright then. Watch yourself, Pads." Harry replied with a nod, before grinning wickedly. "After all, think of what Aunt Marlene would say if your hair got messed up."

"Hmph! Be gone, impudent rascal!" Sirius ordered, pointing to the Gryffindors with a twinkle in his eye. He watched with a slight smile as his Godson joined the throng, then turned to Albus, drawing his wand at the same time. "Well, Albus! Shall we get started then?"

Dumbledore merely inclined his head with a small smile of his own before sweeping away in the direction of the dungeons. No one noticed Severus Snape limp away from the group and head in the opposite direction, towards the stairs that would eventually take him to the third floor.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry watched from a shadowed alcove as Ron raced away, gleeful at having locked the troll into the bathroom. He had followed the prat to make sure he didn't get himself smeared on a wall, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen. Pity. He pulled out his enchanted mirror, the one he had gotten from Sirius three years ago as a present. Just by saying someone's name, he could instantly see and talk to that person, as long as they also had a mirror such as his.

“Sirius?" he called, and the man's face appeared instantly.

"Pup? What's wrong? Get to the dorms, the troll is…" he started severely, but Harry cut him off.

"No longer in the dungeons. Some kid named Ron just locked it into the Girl's bathroom on the first floor. Get up here and deal with it before it breaks out again!"

"Okay, I'll tell the…hang on, what was that?" Sirius said, pausing as a bloodcurdling scream echoed near Harry. Harry whipped his head around and stared at the bathroom door. ' _Please, God, no! Damn it, I should have seen this coming! She hasn't been around all day, and where else would a girl want to go for a cry! Now she's trapped in there!'_

"Sirius, get up here NOW! That fool locked the troll into an occupied bathroom!" Harry barked, and Sirius paled considerably. "There is a girl in there that needs help! I can distract it but I need your help, and fast!"

"No! Harry, wait!" Sirius shouted, but it was too late. The mirror had gone blank. He turned to the other teachers, most of whom had been unable to hear the conversation. "The troll is locked in a bathroom with a girl! First floor! Harry said he's going to distract it!" All the adults paled in horror at the thought and rushed off, Dumbledore in the lead with Sirius and McGonagall hot on his heels.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

' _Oh, shite. That is one biiiig and ugly creature…'_  Harry thought distantly, staring up at the twelve-foot bull mountain troll that was looming over him. He had had a brilliant plan up until now. Use the strongest, though admittedly not very impressive, Blasting Hex that he knew on the lock, kick the door open, save the damsel in distress, and then run away VERY fast while the teachers dealt with the troll. It was, in his opinion, a great plan. Simple, easy to remember, and hopefully effective. Not much can go wrong with a plan that simple, he had thought. After all, Sirius had always told him that simple plans are best _because_  they were simple.

Unfortunately, there was only one small snag in this plan. The girl was unconscious, and that made the 'Rescue the damsel in distress' and 'Run away' steps of his plan a little more complicated. Obviously, she wasn't going to be running anywhere, but he couldn't just  _leave_  her there. She was a girl! He had gotten there to see the troll get ready to turn her into a pancake, and had done the only thing he could think of at the time. Grabbing the tap to one of the shattered sinks, he had yelled "Oi, Pea Brain!" as loud as possible as he chucked the tap as hard as he could at the troll's head. With a dull  _thunk_ , it had bounced off. While the impact was negligible, it was, combined with the yell, enough to bring the troll's focus onto him. The good news: he had the troll's attention, and the girl was still alive. The bad news: he had the troll's attention, and was about to get flattened instead, in which case the girl would be next anyway.

The troll swung down with it's club and he rolled out of the way, popping back to his feet and dashing around the trolls right side as it made a sideways swipe, clearly hoping to bat him like a baseball. A sudden and stupid thought coming to mind, Harry used one of the surviving sinks as a waypoint as he jumped for the troll's back, where it couldn't get him with that club. It worked, but unfortunately for him and the troll, his wand went straight up its left nostril. Roaring in rage and pain, the troll thrashed from side to side, trying to either throw him off or hit him, he wasn't sure. Probably both. Grimly, Harry tightened his hold on the troll and prayed the faculty would be here soon, because he couldn't hold on much longer. The troll stumbled a little, causing him to look down, and he swore. If the troll moved back any more, the girl he was busy trying to help would get squashed like a bug. As if reading his thoughts, the troll started to step backwards. Swearing furiously, Harry shouted the first spell that came to mind.

" _INCENDIO!_ " Why he thought of the Fire Charm, who could say. Maybe it was the damp of the bathroom, maybe it was sheer desperation, maybe something more. Regardless, it accomplished its goal: protecting the girl. With a small hissing sound, his wand sent a stream of fire directly into the troll's skull. It roared once in pain, but was dead before it hit the ground, its minimal brain reduced to ash. It was a good thing it was a full-grown troll, and that Harry's magic was undeveloped, because if the skull had been thinner, or his magic stronger, the fire would have burnt all the way through the skull and set  _himself_  on fire. The troll collapsed to the floor, his arms still tight around its neck, wand still up its nose. Harry lay on its back, panting, and revelling at his continued survival. That was how the teachers found him five minutes later as they rushed into the room, wands drawn and at the ready.

"Pup!" Sirius cried, coming over and grabbing him before giving him a rough check-up to see if he was okay. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm okay, I guess." He said, and then he started. Pushing Sirius away, he scrambled over to the girl. He quickly checked for a pulse, just like Sirius had taught him.

"Move over, young man, and let the professional do the work." Said a familiar voice, and Harry looked up to see Madam Pomfrey kneeling beside him.

"M…Madam Pomfrey!" he said, surprised, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Harry? I should have known that you would be the only person foolish enough to actually go after a full-grown bull Mountain Troll!" she said, smiling at him to take any bite from her words. "Now, let me look over this young lady."

Harry, Sirius and the other teachers watched as the Healer waved her wand over the girl, muttering spells. Nodding to herself, she revived her. The girl gasped and sat up, looking around wildly. Catching sight of Harry, she shrieked and scooted backwards into the wall, hiding her face in her hands. After a moment, she peeked through them and visibly relaxed as she recognized all the adults around her.

"Pup, it looks like she will be okay, we need to get going. You've done your part, so let's grab a bite for the road." Sirius urged, and Harry nodded before standing. He held out his hand to the girl and smiled at her. Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his own, and he helped her to her feet as Sirius did the same for Madam Pomfrey.

"What's your name?" the girl asked, blushing a little but staring at him with wide eyes.

"Harry Potter, pleasure to meet you, Miss…?" Harry said, also feeling a little warm, although he was still able to remember the pleasantries Aunt Marlene had drilled into him.

"Hermione Granger. Did… did you rescue me?" she replied, and he blushed more noticeably before nodding mutely. "Thank you very much!"

Harry nodded to the floor before walking over to Sirius, who had been watching the interaction with great amusement.

"Hey, Pup, where did your wand go?" he asked, looking around, and Harry blanched slightly.

"Er, well…" He stammered, gesturing at the troll. "Ummm… can someone roll him over please?"

With a quick wave of his wand, Dumbledore sent the troll rolling onto its back, and then chuckled lightly as he saw the wand sticking out of its nose.

"Poppy, I think that we will need to take that off of his hands over night for some severe disinfecting." He said, eyes twinkling as the Matron nodded in disgust. He turned to Sirius and gestured to the two students. "Sirius, can you please take Miss Granger and Harry up to the Hospital Wing? I think some hot chocolate and a nice night's sleep away from the common rooms would be best."

"Sure thing, Albus. C'mon, kids, let's go." Sirius said gently, and the two eleven year olds followed him out, feeling shaken by their ordeal yet, in Harry's case, filled with energy and the desire to know this girl better. He shrugged it off as simple stress reactions and led the way to the hospital wing. The faculty watched him go a variety of expressions. Albus's eye twinkle was working on overtime while McGonagall was caught between horror and pride at her young friend. All of them, with the exception of Severus, had played a part in raising the boy over the years and felt a certain sense of accomplishment as they saw it had paid off.

"Well, well, well." Poppy murmured to herself, waving her wand at the two teens and giving a small smirk. Although she no doubt intended for it to be personal musing, the other teachers heard her.

"What is it, Poppy?" Albus asked, wondering what the spell might have told her.

"Hmmm… anyone want to take bets on how long it takes for those two too end up dating once Harry gets back here officially?" she asked innocently, and Albus smiled mentally. If she was asking that, then he knew what that spell had told her.

"10 Galleons on the middle of third year." He said promptly, and Poppy grinned broadly.

"20 Galleons on the beginning of fourth year." She shot back; delighted someone was taking her up on this. If her spell was right, then there was no way that she could lose.

“Honestly, teachers taking bets on student relationships? What is this school coming to?" McGonagall said aloud, shaking her head in sorrow, before turning to Poppy. "50 Galleons says that they will be dating at the end of third year or over the summer."

"Ah! You can't cheat, Minerva! Summer or the end of the year, you have to pick one!" Albus said, in a falsely chastising tone.

"Fine, fine! Summer of third year!" she grumbled in annoyance, and the other teachers laughed. Flitwick quickly placed his own bet for the middle of fourth, while Professor Sprout seconded Albus. As they were walking back towards the main staircase to head to their various dormitories, in order to assure the students they were now safe, Sprout came up to Minerva, along with Poppy and asked her why end of their third year.

"Because that's when his parents realized that they really liked each other." She replied as though it was obvious, and they gave her looks that questioned her sanity.

"Lily and James didn't date until their seventh year, when James finally took himself down a few pegs!" Poppy said in a tone that sounded almost insulting.

"I know that, obviously. I said that's when they liked each other, not when they got together. James was too filled with youthful, oblivious arrogance to figure things out and Lily was too damn stubborn to help him." McGonagall sighed, shaking her head in very real sorrow. "They had so little time…"

"Well, hears to hoping that the lives of young Mr. Potter and Miss Granger are filled with nothing but laughter and love." Sprout said firmly, and the other two quickly agreed. Only when they looked back, years later, would they realize how impossible such a thing was. After all, he was a Potter.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Up in the hospital wing, Harry and Hermione were sitting side by side, sipping from steaming mugs of cocoa that Sirius had brought them. Harry had tried to sit on another bed, to give Hermione some space, but she had thrown herself at him, latching herself to his arm and begging him not to leave her. Now Harry was starting to feel a little awkward. He got the feeling that he cared about this girl, and wanted her to be happy, but he was also feeling the usual male reaction to be in close proximity to a sad or scared female of his species at such a young age. In other words, he had no clue on what to do!

Sirius, meanwhile, found all of this quite amusing. He knew exactly what his godson was feeling, and he couldn't help but laugh mentally. Soon enough though, Granger had fallen asleep, exhausted from the events of the night. Harry and Sirius were carefully and gently tucking her into bed when Poppy came in.

"Ah, I expected she would be asleep, the poor dear." She said sympathetically, idly transfiguring the girl's robes into soft pyjamas before performing Cleansing and Freshening Charms. "Harry dear, Albus would like you and Sirius up in his office. He has something important to talk to you about for next year."

"Okay, Auntie Poppy." Harry said, sounding more subdued than his usual boisterous cheerfulness. He looked back at Miss Granger, and she saw the tenderness in his eyes. He might not be aware of it, but she had seen that so many times over the years, she knew exactly what he was going to say next. "Please… take care of her? I don't want anything… well, anything else, to happen to her."

"Of course, Harry. Now, get you gone! You know I have always done the best, and she is going to be just fine!" she said, smiling at him as he visibly relaxed, becoming that happy boy she knew so well once more.

He left the room and Sirius turned to Poppy, raised an eyebrow, and said eight words with a smirk.

"35 Galleons on the middle of second year."

Poppy grinned and pulled a small black notebook out of her apron pocket. Quickly jotting down his wager, she shooed him towards the doors. Before he turned the corner, she called after him.

"When did you and Marlene finally get together again? And when did you propose?"

"We got together sometime in late August. The… 27th, I think. I proposed two nights before… Halloween." He replied, suddenly downcast, and she blinked back tears. She knew exactly what Halloween he meant. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just another little bet I had with the other staff." She replied evasively, and he raised an eyebrow before shrugging and walking away. After he was gone, Poppy walked back into the hospital wing, notebook in hand as she quickly did some mental math. "Let's see… that's another… 200 Galleons to me!" she sighed in contentment. She always won these bets. Maybe it was her Healer's perspective on things, she mused before shrugging. She needed to get some sleep. It had been a long night for them all.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

"Ah, Harry, Sirius. Please, have a seat. There are several important things I must tell you tonight, in greater or lesser detail. First of all: Sirius, how much have you told Harry about his family history?" Albus said, pointing the two of them to a pair of comfortable chairs before his desk.

"Not much, as agreed. He knows about his parents and the Marauders and such, but not much more than that. I guessed that you would be able to explain it far better than I could." Sirius replied, settling himself comfortably and staring straight into Dumbledore's eyes.

"Well, I'm not sure about that, but I suppose I know the ancient history somewhat better." Dumbledore replied, before turning to Harry with a serious expression. "Harry, I have something to explain to you, but first, you need to try this on." He held out an old and very rumpled hat. "Think that it will be… enlightening."

"Sir, isn't that the school Sorting Hat?" Harry asked slowly, confused. He supposed that knowing what House he would join next year could be useful, but how was that of great importance?

"It is, but please just trust me, Harry." The Headmaster urged, and Harry shrugged mentally before putting on the hat.

 _"Oh ho ho, I can see what Dumbledore meant about you all those years ago, boy. You will go far indeed. However, I cannot sort you until you do something for me first."_ The Hat whispered in his mind.

 _"What is that? And how could I help you?"_ Harry replied, feeling willing enough but at a loss as to why the Hat might want him to help it with something. What could a Hat want help with anyway?

 _"Oh, you will see soon enough. Tell Dumbledore and your Godfather to follow you, and head to the Seventh Floor, near the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy. I will tell you more then. Well, I won't be the one, per se."_ The Sorting Hat whispered vaguely, it's 'voice' giving Harry the distinct mental impression of amusement. Harry shrugged and pulled the Hat off and telling the adults what it had said. Their confusion was blindingly obvious as they did as the Hat had ordered. Once they reached the proper area, they paused and looked around.

"This is where the Room of Requirement is, right?" Sirius asked Dumbledore, and the Headmaster nodded while he watched Harry consult with the Sorting Hat. Again, the boy pulled the Hat off and paced before the blank area of wall three times, brow furrowed with concentration. Moments later, a massive door, not unlike on found in a bank vault appeared in the wall. Harry reached out and spun the handle before pulling it open. Inside, they saw a large room, with vaulted ceilings, Grecian columns, and large stained glass windows. Five windows, in fact, each depicting a different person. Before any of them could pay much attention to their surroundings, they realized that someone else was there. Someone who had not been there before.

"Hello, my friends. A pleasure to see you all again. Especially you, Harry. It has been a long time since you last visited. Thank you for protecting young Miss Granger for me, I'm quite fond of her." A soft and lilting feminine voice said from behind them. They all turned to see a tall and beautiful young woman with long silver hair and gold eyes smiling at them.

"Er… sorry, but do I know you? I… don't believe that we have met." Harry said, polite despite the surprise he had to be feeling.

The woman laughed, and it was a beautiful sound that seemed to come from the very walls, and Harry found himself smiling happily without any idea why.

"Oh, Harry, I have so missed you." She said fondly, before turning to the others. "Sirius Black, you whelp, I'm glad that you are back. Albus, my old friend, good to see you." She returned her attention to Harry, who gulped nervously as she grinned at him. "To answer your question, Harry, you know me quite well. You visit me often, without knowing it, and you know nearly every secret that I have to offer. I am four and yet I am one. Who am I?"

Harry's brow furrowed as he thought hard. He visited her often. Well, that was a lot of people, but he would recognize her if that was the case. He didn't know he did… how could you visit someone without knowing? He knew nearly every secret that she had to offer. Well, he knew lots of people very well, but not  _that_  well. She was four, and yet one… .not multiple personalities, so then what…?

"I'm sorry, I don't know off of the top of my head." He said finally, and her face fell a little, before brightening again.

"I know, one more clue for you! You stand within my heart, and I am all around you!" she cried, clearly feeling that Harry would know after this. He thought for a moment more, and then his eyes widened as a sudden thought struck him. She couldn't be! It was unnatural, and yet… yes, and yet indeed, especially where magic is involved… he took a breath and made the plunge.

"Are you… Hogwarts?" he asked, and she laughed with a joy that was so infectious, the others found themselves laughing with her.

"Ah, my love, you have guessed it! Indeed, I am Hogwarts! This, the Room of Requirement, is my Heart. The Master created me and put me here to watch over the students, along with others. Over the years, as I absorbed the magic of thousands, I gained this physical form. "She said happily, and Harry smiled at her, glad that she was so happy.

"Are… are you really Hogwarts herself? And this Room is your Heart?" Sirius asked, looking downright horrified for some reason, and Hogwarts grinned at him slyly.

"Yes, and yes. But don't worry, Padfoot. I won't tell Marlene about all of your little escapades in here." She said, and he flushed bright red before bowing slightly.

"I am so sorry to have done… things inside this Room. Had I known…" he started, but she cut him off.

"Then you would not have done it. Do not worry, Sirius. I shan't hold your past against you, especially since the Roster of Students tells me that you are married to Marlene and will have your two beloved children come to me. I thank you for that. Speaking of marriage…"she laughed, and Sirius grinned happily back at her before she turned to Harry, suddenly looking utterly dejected. "Harry, I heard about your parents. I wish I could have spoken to you all the times you visited, but… I could not. I want to tell you that your parents were my most beloved children of all time, and my sorrow and grief at their passing was second to none. Had I had a body capable at that time, I would have torn Tom Riddle apart myself, and burnt the pieces."

"You couldn't talk to me? Why not, I would have liked that!" Harry exclaimed, trying to cheer her up, but then he frowned as he registered the rest of her words. "Wait, they were your children? And who is Tom Riddle? My parents were killed by Voldemort!"

"All those who walk my halls are my children, and Voldemort and Riddle are one and the same." Hogwarts replied, smiling at him briefly before becoming serious once more. "The reason I had the Hat bring you here is important. It is also world changing, especially for the school. All I ask is that you let me finish before you ask questions."

After all three voiced their agreement to her terms, and she gestured with one hand. Three chairs appeared behind them, and she sat down in another, gesturing for them to do the same. After they had all settled themselves comfortably, Hogwarts began to weave her tale.

"A thousand years ago, the Four Founders built me. They were: Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, and Rowena Ravenclaw. They also created the Sorting Hat, charming it with powerful magics to give it intelligence and the ability to sort the students. Everyone knows this, just as they know that there are four Houses in this school. What they do not know, however, is that it was not always this way. There was a fifth Founder, of sorts, whom history never knew because he was never mentioned, at his own request. He was the Master of the Four, and he breathed life into me." She paused for a moment, visibly gathering herself, before continuing.

"This man was Myyrdin Emryys. Ambrosinus also was his name, but now he is known only by that which the legends have named him: Merlin."

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Hogwarts went on to explain to her shocked audience that the fifth House, the house of Emryys, had been cursed by Merlin as he was cast into his magical slumber by his lover, Nimue. It had been the majority of his house that had betrayed the school, leading those who hated magic in an attack that resulted in the deaths of many young students. It was during this attack that Salazar Slytherin's young daughter, Celestina, was slain. It was this occurrence, Hogwarts explained, that lead to the hatred and mistrust of Muggles and Muggle-borns in Slytherin, for the Traitors of the House of Emryys had all been Muggle-borns. It was a betrayal he never forgave, and his resulting bitterness lead to the rift among the Founders. Salazar never spoke of his daughter again, and that was why she was never known. Merlin had declared that only when the one who bore the traits of all five Houses, including his own, came to Hogwarts would the curse be lifted.

"But, what were the traits of his house, then? And what does all of this have to do with me?" asked Harry, shaking his head in bewilderment.

"His traits were harder to find than the other four, as he favored those that could qualify for all four of the other Houses. He was also forever seeing the good in people, and was often bind to the bad. Unfortunately, not even he knew what lay inside the hearts of humans, and so… the school was betrayed. This was, above all, the reason that the Sorting Hat was made. It CAN see inside their minds, and knows their true selves." Hogwarts said, sounding a little sad when she came to the betrayal of the school. ' _Makes sense_.' Harry thought when he heard it. ' _She IS the school, and any betrayal of the school is a personal betrayal to her as well. By some of her "children", no less.'_

"So, again, what does this have to do with Pup?" Sirius said, deciding to ignore the other questions he had and focus on his godson's involvement.

"Because, at long last, the Heir of the House of Emryys has come to me, and now he can free the Hat and I from the curse, and I shall be what I once was!" Hogwarts squealed, sounding suddenly for all the world like a teenage girl instead of a 1,000 year old intelligence that was the embodiment of a castle. "Please, please,  _please_  will you lift the curse?" she begged, and Harry stared for a moment before responding.

"Er… yeah, but I… that is, you haven't told me  _how_  to remove the curse…" he muttered, and she slapped her forehead with her palm.

"Knew that I forgot something!" she said to herself, before looking Harry straight in the eyes and going down on one knee. "My Lord, Harry James Potter, Heir to the House of Emryys, do you hereby lift your ancestor's curse upon Hogwarts, that the Fifth House might once again walk these halls?"

"I lift the curse. May the fifth House wipe clean the stain of its predecessors!" Harry replied, his voice suddenly deep and powerful. Then, the moment passed, and he blinked, looking around in confusion. "What just happened? It felt like there was… someone else inside me, speaking through me."

"My Lord, that was the blood of Myyrdin using you to free me." Hogwarts said, still kneeling, but now with her eyes on the ground. Harry blinked down at her in confusion.

"Why are you down there? And what is this 'My Lord' business?" he asked.

"You have not yet given me leave to rise, My Lord. You are my master, to do with as you please." She replied steadily, still keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Well then, I want you to stop, Hogwarts." Harry said firmly. He couldn't believe that this was happening! It had to be a dream! But, dream or not, no woman was going to be on the ground bowing to him and calling him 'My Lord'! "Get up, call me Harry, and do whatever you want. I am no one's master. I am simply Harry Potter."

"If that is what you desire, Harry." said Hogwarts, standing up and smiling at her feet.

"You can look at me you know." Harry said, feeling more than a little irritated.

Hogwarts smiled at him warmly, and turned to Dumbledore, who had been silently observing the entire time. His eyes were still twinkling slightly at Harry's discomfort even as his mind calculated and evaluated the situation.

"Albus, my friend, I think you and I should discuss some changes for the coming years, now that the curse is lifted."

"Of course, my lady. I'm sure you know better than I the changes that have been wrought." Dumbledore replied with a bow, before smiling a little awkwardly. "Might I ask why you never revealed to me your existence? Or why the Hat did not tell me?"

"We could tell no one until the Heir arrived." Hogwarts said, turning to Sirius. "Please stay, Padfoot. I think it would be logical for you to be Head of House for the House of Emryys. I assume you would like to be here with your godson?"

"If at all possible, yes. Harry, you should go back to the Hospital Wing and get some sleep. This might be a long talk." Sirius said to Harry, who tried to hide a yawn behind his hand while shaking his head. "Nice try, Pup. Get going!"

"But I'm f-f-fine!" Harry said, yawning even as he spoke.

All three adults just looked at him sternly, and he rolled his eyes. Turning, he waved goodbye to Hogwarts and left. Hogwarts smiled after him, eyes soft with affection for the young man.

"You really care about him, don't you Hogwarts?" Albus said, seeing it in her.

"Yes… sometimes, I wish that I were truly human." She replied, sounding wistful. She shook herself and nodded. "Now, however, there are plans to be made…"

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Bright and early the next morning, Hermione saw Harry and Sirius off at the front door. She gave Harry a tearful hug that was so tight he squeaked, and made him promise to write her from America. He agreed and waved a final farewell before he and Sirius got into the carriage waiting to take them to the gates.

As they rode, Sirius was watching Harry, who was staring back at the girl with a longing expression.

"What's up, Pup?" he said, and Harry smiled a little at the rhyme and the nickname.

"Nothing, Pads." He said, then hesitated, looking as though he wanted to speak.

"Go on, say it." Sirius urged, although he thought he knew what was up. "You will feel better once you do."

"I feel… like I miss her already." Harry said, a small frown creasing his brow. "And… I can feel her. I know she is all right, and that she is sad. We will be back before the year is over, right?" He turned to Sirius, who was grinning. "What's the grin for?"

"Nothing! Umm… I'll tell you when you're older." Sirius said, hastily wiping the grin off of his face. "Yeah, we will come back for the last week or so of school. Stuff still needs to be organized for next year, and they need me there for it."

"Awesome. But, c'mon, tell me what you were grinning at earlier!" Harry said cajolingly, but Sirius remained steadfast. Pouting, Harry looked back at the small dot that still stood before the doors.  _Goodbye, Hermione. I'll see you next year. Goodbye, Hogwarts. I'll see you soon._  He thought, and could have sworn that he heard a young woman's cheer echo across the grounds.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

A/N: Okay, clearing a few potential things up:

Yes, I realize people have played the whole "Merlin's House" card before, but I'm hoping to do it differently. Moreover, honestly, who else would there be a fifth house FOR? No, I didn't copy anyone else with Sirius being in charge, but again, that isn't a new idea because it makes a whole lot of sense. I mean, who else would it be? Snape?

Yes, this is going to have soul-bonding, but again, I will be doing it my own way, not someone elses. Although I am sure that there will be some similarities. It is inevitable, really.

Yes, I have Hogwarts as intelligent, but I have some twists that no one else has. If someone exclusive invented that, kudos to you! If I knew who you were, I would credit you. Besides, it seems logical. Exposure to magic for other a thousand years would have to have  _some_  effect.

I hope you all enjoyed this rather long chapter, and that you will not abandon me so early!

The next chapter will include Quirrel going down, although it might not be for what you expect…

PELASE REVIEW AND I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE! TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL!


	3. Quirrel's Folly

EDITED AS OF 9/12/12

Harry is now also going to become a little more suave! now. Makes sense, since he was raised by the one and only Sirius Black himself. He won't be a "man-whore", but he will be more comfortable with most people, especially the ladies. It will get worse (or better, depending on your point of view) as he gets older. Naturally.

**Big shout-out to my Beta, Dragon-Raptor! Go check out his stuff!**

Disclaimer: My mother owns my food, my school/homework owns my life, and the estimable J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter…REGRETS!

Now, onto the third chapter!

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

- _hee hee hee- :_ mental communication, a.k.a. telepathy

 _Hee hee hee_  : simple thoughts, that only the thinker is aware of.

"Hee hee hee": Normal speech

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgment

Chapter Three

Quirrel's Folly

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry Potter stepped through the front doors of Hogwarts and smiled at his surroundings. Several portraits cried greetings, which he returned before walking down the Entrance Hall, headed for the Gryffindor Common Room.

 _-Welcome back, Harry. I missed you so very much.-_  Hogwarts whispered to him, and he felt the brush of a kiss on his cheek. - _You picked up a few more scars I see. Why can't you just keep yourself out of trouble?-_

 _-I missed you too, Hogwarts._  Harry thought back, blushing slightly from the kiss. – _As for the scar, it wasn't my fault you know! It was for a truly worthy cause, and when you find out you will be quite pleased, or at least you should be. Trouble just…-_

 _-'Seems to find' you, yes. So I've heard.-_ Hogwarts finished wryly. - _What did you do this time?-_

 _-I can't tell you. Ha ha ha ha ha! -_ Harry replied, sticking out his tongue, knowing that she would see it.  _–I want it to be a surprise, so you will just have to wait!-_

 _-That isn't very mature, Harry.-_ Hogwarts said forbiddingly, before rapidly becoming playful and childish again. _–C'mon, tell me! I hate surprises! Tell me, tell me!-_

 _-I'm not going to ruin it, but you especially will love it.-_ Harry replied stubbornly, before smirking at the nearest wall.  _–Besides, since when are you the epitome of maturity?-_

- _Touché, Harry. Are you going to come up and visit me?-_ she said, sounding hopeful.

 _-Yes, I just want to check on Hermione, and then I want to introduce her to you, if you like.-_  Harry replied, smiling as Hogwarts huffed in annoyance .He knew how much she wanted to see him, and she hated not knowing things. Which, Harry reflected, made sense. After 1,000 years of knowing everything that goes on, it would probably be mental agony to not know something

 _-Fine, just hurry up. You should have come to visit earlier. I've been so very lonely without you here…-_ Hogwarts said sounding sad, and Harry frowned. He wasn't too pleased about that. She shouldn't be alone…

 _-Does the Headmaster not visit you? Or the other teachers? -_ He asked, and got the mental impression of a headshake.  _–Why not?-_

 _-The Headmaster is busy being the Headmaster, and I don't think that anyone else knows about me.-_ she answered, sounding even more forlorn.

 _-Not to worry. In just a few minutes, I am going to be there with Hermione. How has she been, by the way?-_ Harry said, reaching the Gryffindor portrait hole.

 _-Not too bad, but a lot of people are giving her a really hard time. The entire school knows about the troll incident, and some people seem to think that she let it in._  Hogwarts replied, and Harry snorted in derision.

 _-Pathetic, a first year getting a troll in? Ridiculous, but I suppose if it's the best the rumor mill could come up with.-_  He grumbled, and Hogwarts laughed. A sudden thought struck him, and he voiced it.  _–If you know everything happening inside the school, how_ did _the troll get past you?-_

 _-Ah, well, umm...promise that you won't laugh at me?_  She said, sounding extremely embarrassed, and Harry grinned. This ought to be good. He quickly promised and she continued.  _–You see, despite being the soul of this castle, I also have to sleep like any human, so I usually take my naps at meals, when all the students are safely under the eyes of the teachers.-_

 _-And since the troll got in around dinner time…-_ Harry started.

 _-I was already asleep, exactly-_ Hogwarts finished wryly.

 _-Makes sense, I suppose. Don't feel guilty, it isn't your fault.-_  Harry said as the Fat Lady swung forward, revealing the entrance to the Common Room. He walked in and looked around for a moment taking in the scene with a smile. Students of varying ages were bent over textbooks, scribbling on parchment, or chatting with their friends. Several looked up at his entrance, nudging their neighbors, until the whole of Gryffindor Tower was staring at him. Rather than being irritated by their attention, like one would think, Harry took the opportunity of having their focus to make his search easier.

"Hello, everyone. I was wondering if any of you could perhaps tell me to find Hermione Granger?" he asked, smiling around the room.

"What do you want with the bookworm? There are cooler people to be mates with in Gryffindor." Asked a male voice from nearby, and Harry turned to look at the source. It was the red haired boy that had locked Hermione in the bathrooms with the troll. Harry raised an eyebrow and looked at the boy over his glasses.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" Harry said politely. He already had a feeling that he wasn't going to get along with this kid. Hermione had owled him frequently, and often ranted about an insensitive arse named Ronald Bilius Weasley. Apparently, he was rude, bigoted, and fairly stupid with very red hair. Harry could only assume that this was he.

"Why do you want the bookworm? She isn't anything special! All she cares about is homework and classes!" the boy continued, and Harry decided to give him a little more rope and see if he hung himself with it.

"You are who, exactly?" he said, striving hard to continue to be polite.

"Ron Weasley. You're the Boy-Who-Lived, right?" Ron said, walking over and holding out his hand for Harry to shake.

"No, I'm not. I'm the Boy-Whose-Parents-Were-Murdered. That's a bit of a mouthful though, so call me Harry." Harry said a little coldly, ignoring the hand as he deliberately looked around the room again. "Can anyone tell me where Hermione is?"

"Hermione is in the library. I can show you there if you like?" offered a tall, blond haired second year girl from the back of the room, and Harry smiled at her. At least one person here was worth knowing!

"Thank you, but I know where it is, Miss…?" he said, and the girl blushed a little.

"Bell. Katie Bell. Are you sure you can get there?" she replied, and Harry smile widened.

"A pleasure to meet you, Katie. While I can get myself there, I would enjoy some company. Would you like to join me?" he said, and Katie's blush deepened.

"Sure. I'd love to." She said, feeling a little unnerved by his relaxed familiarity with people he didn't know in the slightest.

"Excellent." Harry said brightly, before turning back to the room at large. "I'll bring her back in a bit. I look forward to getting to know you all!" with that, he led Katie out of the portrait hole. The majority of Gryffindor house stared after him in something akin to shock as the hole closed, but not before they heard their guardian portrait giggle and call after Harry.

"Hey Harry, going off on late night escapades already? Your Godfather at least waited until his Third Year!"

"Ah, Charlene, you wound me! I am on no escapade! I am simply walking with a new friend to the library to meet Hermione! Nothing more, nothing less!" they heard him call back dramatically with amusement, clearly familiar with such banter. The sound of raucous laughter from several of the other portraits in the hallway was easily audible in the common room before Harry had even finished talking. "Now, what's so funny, you lot?"

"Your Godfather said the same sorts of things, Harry. We believe you, of course, but it's just so similar it's funny." They heard the Fat Lady say after she had caught her breath.

The sound of Harry grumbling echoed as the portrait shut at last, and the now totally floored Gryffindors looked at each other with wide eyes.

* * *

Harry led a wide-eyed Katie down the hallways of Hogwarts. He was still feeling somewhat disgruntled at the portraits comments and amusement, but he knew that they had to do something with their spare time, and no doubt that mainly involved spying and gossiping. After all, what more could a portrait do in its copious amounts of free time? Sleeping got old quickly, no doubt.

"So, Katie, what are your favorite classes? And your favorite teacher? Are you in any clubs?" he asked, eager to learn more about his companion.

"Eh?" she blinked, surprised that he was interested. "Well, I love Charms class, but my favorite Professor is Sprout. She is  _so_ nice, and her classes are really fun to! I'm a Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, too!" she said brightly, before scowling slightly. "Honestly, I can't stand Professor Snape though! He is so mean to everyone that isn't a Slytherin, and he probably doesn't wash his hair either!"

Harry chortled as he walked into the library. He knew exactly what Katie meant. Snape and Filch were the only members of the staff he didn't like and by whom he was not liked. Snape was obsessed with the idea that he was his father, and that since he had been raised by "that damn Black" made it even worse. Filch, as near as he could tell, saw Harry as just another bratty magical child that he couldn't torture and who got 'his' castle muddy. Not to mention that the dirty old Squib had a severe jealousy problem of the students for being able to do magic. Looking about, he spotted Hermione and walked over slowly, gesturing for Katie to stay silent. Quickly casting a spell his godfather had taught him,  _Muffliato_ , he crept up behind his bushy haired friend and grabbed her in a hug from behind. Hermione shrieked loud enough to crack a soundproof window and leapt to her feet, scattering parchment and books everywhere as she whirled around to face him.

"WHAT THE H…" she started to scream, but stopped when she saw Harry standing there howling with laughter, and Katie a few steps back, trying and failing to hide a broad grin. Immediately forgetting her anger in the face of seeing her friend, Hermione threw her arms around him with a cry of "Harry, you're back!"

"Hey, Hermione." Harry said with a chuckle, hugging Hermione back tightly. He had missed her so much, and seeing her again was like his birthday and Christmas put together. After another minute or so they let each other go, albeit reluctantly, and sat down, with Harry gesturing for Katie to join them.

"Harry! How have you been? Have you been keeping up your studies? Have you…" Hermione started, and Harry rolled his eyes with a grin and covered her mouth with one hand.

"You know, if you actually hushed for a moment, I could tell you couldn't I?" He said, his grin turning into a smirk as she blushed and glared at him over his hand. "Will you let me answer now, or do I have to leave my hand here?" She rolled her eyes and nodded, and he pulled his hand away. "Good. Now, I have been perfectly fine, I have been keeping up with my studies, and even looked into next year a little. Sirius and I just recently got back from visiting Florida, over in the United States. That was fun, although it was a little too hot and humid for my tastes. How about you, how have you been?"

"Oh, you know me, Harry. I've been doing fine, nothing out of sorts or anything." Hermione said, looking away and speaking in a sad tone. Harry rolled his eyes again. What a horrid liar she was… "I'm doing well in classes and such."

Harry nodded then turned to look at Katie, who seemed to be frowning slightly. "Katie? What's up?"

"What Hermione isn't telling you is that she is getting a lot of snide remarks and bullying from some of the students, both in our House and out." The blond replied, glancing at Hermione, who was now scowling.

"Look, Katie, I really appreciate what you, Alicia, and Angelina are doing. Even the Twins, but I don't think that Harry needs to worry about that sort of thing." She interjected, and Harry suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at his friend's attitude.

"Look, Hermione…" he started, but Katie cut him off. Facing Hermione squarely, she adopted a stern look and stared at the bushy-haired girl.

"Hermione, that's a load of crap and you know it. You told me all about what happened, and even showed me the letters you two have been writing to each other. I can guarantee that Harry wants to know about things like this, especially since he will be coming here next year." she stated firmly. "I'm your friend, Hermione, and it's my job to make sure that you are at least relatively happy. Let Harry and I do that."

"I am happy, really!" Hermione protested feebly, and Harry and Katie both snorted in response.

"Come on, you two. I have someone that I want you to meet. Until I am here full time, she is someone you can confide in, and she is always here." Harry said suddenly, eyes slightly unfocused as if he were listening to something far away. He abruptly seemed to rejoin reality, and grinned a little sheepishly. "She is getting a little impatient. Come on." With that, he waved his wand to cancel his  _Muffliato_  and started to walk away.

Katie and Hermione glanced at one another, shrugged in unison, and then followed, catching up with him as he opened the library door, which he held open for them with a flourish and a bow. Giggling, the two girls passed him and waited for him to join them. Throwing an arm around each girls shoulder he led them to the seventh floor, where he paused in front of a blank wall.

"Erm, Harry? There isn't anything here, you know." Katie pointed out, ignoring the protests of Barnabas the Barmy from behind her saying that he was there.

"Ah, my dear girls, just because you cannot see it does not mean that it is not there." Harry said with a grin.

"Harry… it's a blank wall." Hermione said slowly, looking at Harry as though concerned that he had gone mental.

"Your point?" Harry said, before releasing both girls' shoulders. Pacing back and forth in front of the wall three times, he faced the girls as a massive vault door appeared behind him. "I believe that that is me proved right, yes?"

"Prat." Hermione muttered, and Harry laughed as he opened the door. Waving the girls through, Harry shut and locked the door behind them, watching as it faded into nothingness. Turning around, he noticed that both Katie and Hermione were looking around with open mouths and shocked expressions. Smirking, he raised his eyebrow as Hogwarts appeared next to him. This time, as opposed to appearing in her thirties, she now looked to be around 16 years old, dressed in tight jeans and an even tighter white t-shirt. Her hair was raven-wing black and she had vividly bright green eyes. She looked, in short, like Harry's older sister.

"Welcome, Hermione Granger and Katie Bell. I am glad that you have finally come to visit me. Welcome to my Heart." Hogwarts said, and the two girls jumped and spun around as she startled them.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there." Hermione said politely, coming over with an outstretched hand. I am guessing that you are whom Harry wanted to introduce us too?"

"Yes, I am." Hogwarts said with a bright smile, ignoring the hand and instead pulling her into a tight hug, before doing the same to Katie. "I am so pleased to meet you in person at last; I have been watching you for some time. I am Hogwarts."

Both girls stared at her blankly, clearly not understanding what she had said. It wasn't that they were shocked, exactly; it was more like that they didn't understand enough to be able to get shocked or confused.

"I'm sorry, who are you again?" Katie said slowly, looking at Hogwarts intently as though trying to decide if she was completely insane. "Harry's older sister or something?"

"No, it is as I said. I am Hogwarts." She replied, blurring for a moment before turning herself into an exact copy of Katie. As Katie and Hermione gasped in shock, Hogwarts changed into Hermione before returning to her original appearance. Shrugging at them, she continued. "I am the manifestation of this castle. This Room is my Heart."

"But… but, nothing in  _Hogwarts, A History_  said ANYTHING about the castle having some sort of a, a  _soul_  or something like that! I'm sure I would have noticed that much!" Hermione cried, and Harry and Hogwarts looked at each other before they burst out laughing.

"Oh, Hermione, that book gets so much about Hogwarts wrong that it isn't even something I can explain in the time we have." Hogwarts said, waving her hand. A large, ancient-looking tome appeared in a small table near the exit. "That is the true history of this castle. No-one but you three will be able to see it for what it is. It will disguise itself as any textbook you want it too if someone asks about it. I think that you will find it… enlightening."

After Hermione gushed 'Thank you' for nearly ten minutes, the three students spent almost an hour chatting with Hogwarts, getting to know her better and laughing at her many stories of the student antics she had witnessed over the centuries. Finally, Hogwarts yawned loudly and Harry chuckled.

"Come on ladies, it's time for dinner. We should head down now." He said, pulling the confused but willing girls to their feet. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay Hogwarts?"

"Mmm, okay." Hogwarts said, crawling into a large four-poster bed that had appeared in the room. "Harry?"

"Yes? What's up?" Harry replied, halfway out the door.

"Quirrel… not good. Coming… to Room. Be… safe…" Hogwarts murmured before falling asleep.

* * *

Harry smiled a little at the sight of the manifestation of a millennia old castle sleeping like a teenager. It seemed so… strange, and yet so right at the same time. As he shut the door, and watched it fade, however, a very different expression appeared. Frowning, Harry told the girls to go on ahead to dinner, and that he had to check on something first. In reality, he pulled his father's Cloak of Invisibility out of his bag and threw it over himself. He wanted to see what Quirrel was after in the Room, and why Hogwarts said that a teacher was 'not good'. A few minutes later, Quirrel appeared and paced about in front of the Room. A plain wooden door appeared which he went through. Make a snap decision, Harry quickly followed. He had barely entered the Room when he heard a high, cold voice echo in the stillness.

"Shut the door, you fool! You failed to acquire the Stone for me from Gringotts; you shall not fail me in this, far more important retrieval of one of my anchors! Especially not through something as brainless as leaving the door open!" it said, and Harry frowned. He knew that voice, somehow. As if from a dream… a dream with green light, and the voice laughing. He quickly stepped further away as Quirrel hurriedly shut the door.

"Yes, master, I'm sorry master." The turbaned man said, sounding as though he was scared out of his mind.

"Now, find me what it is I seek!" the voice commanded, and Quirrel swallowed nervously.

"How, my Lord? There is so much here, and the protections you placed on it will not allow me to summon it!" he said, seemingly to thin air even as he moved further into the cluttered room. Harry shuffled around quickly, taking a side route that would allow him walk parallel to Quirrel. As he passed a bust of an ugly old wizard with a wig, upon which an ancient looking tiara rested, he heard that high, cold voice hiss suddenly, as if surprised.

"The boy is here, Quirrel! My anchor has sensed him, and it calls to me! Quickly, that way!" is said, and Harry swore softly. He knew, somehow, that they were talking about him. Something deep inside him screamed at him that if they caught him, he would die. He started to walk backwards as swiftly as possible, eager to put as much distance in between them as he could, but in his haste he blundered. Catching the Cloak on the edge of a stack of items, he continued to walk backwards only to have the Cloak slip off of him. Swearing again, he quickly tried to untangle it and throw it over himself, but it was too late. Quirrel rounded the corner, and saw him.

"Don't move, Potter! My master wants to speak with you before you die!" the man said, and Harry thought desperately. If he could free the Cloak, and get it on over himself… but he needed to distract Quirrel first.

"Your master, huh? And where is he? Going to kill me, is he?" He called back, still tugging on the Cloak. "What, is he invisible or something? He might have trouble killing me if he isn't here, you loon!"

Quirrel opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off as a high, cold laugh echoed again. Harry shivered, his whole body tensing. Whoever- _whatever_ \- was making that sound was evil. He could feel it in the room. A cold, stale weight that seemed to dim everything. It reeked of Darkness. That was the only way he could describe it. He had no idea how he could sense it, or what it was, but it was like evil incarnate.

"Ah, Harry, Harry, Harry. I am very much here, and very much going to kill you. But first, I will see you. Quirrel, I shall speak to him, face to face." The voice said, sounding coldly amused. The hair on Harry's arms stuck straight up at the sound.

"But, Master, you are not yet strong enough! I should…" Quirrel started, but he was cut off quickly.

"Silence! In the presence of one of my anchors, I have more strength, strength enough for this! Now, I SHALL SPEAK TO HIM!" the last was said with such overwhelming force that even Harry felt himself affected. Hands shaking, the twitchy Defense Against Dark Arts brought his hands up to his turban and began to unwrap it, turning as he did so. Harry felt the urge to run. He knew, somehow, that whatever was under that turban was a Bad Thing. Before he could move, however, the turban fell away and Quirrel turned away from him. Harry stared in horror at the sight that greeted his gaze. There, sticking out of the back of Quirrel's head, was another face. Red-eyed, slit nostril, and with a lipless mouth that sneered at him, Harry at last saw the source of the evil he had felt, and the cold voice.

"Harry Potter. So like your father do you look… except for the eyes. Your mother's eyes. DO you know who I am, Harry?" the face asked, and Harry glared, suddenly filled with hate.

"Yes, I do." He grated out through clenched teeth. "Lord Voldemort, Dark Lord, blood supremacist, terrorist, murderer… and the man who killed my parents!"

"Come now, Harry, don't be naïve! Darkness is a matter of perspective! Terrorist? Murderer? I prefer… patriot, and warrior. I fight for the greatness of wizarding kind! Surely that's not so hard to believe?" Voldemort said, attempting to sound convincing and hurt. Harry, however, was having none of it.

"Damn you! You killed my family, and countless others!" he shouted, hand grasping his wand in his jean's pocket.

"Only for the Greater Good, Harry! I can bring your parents back to you, Harry." Voldemort replied cajolingly, even as he created images of Harry's parents out of thin air. "Join me, and be reunited with them…"

"Never!" Harry shouted, yanking the Cloak free and sending his strongest Stinging Hex straight into Voldemort's face, before throwing the Cloak on and dashing sideways, trying to reach the door. Behind him, he heard Voldemort shrieking in pain and rage.

"Kill the boy! I don't care if you can't find him; destroy the entire room if you have too!" Voldemort howled, and Harry heard Quirrel shout an incantation that made his blood freeze.

" ** _MALEDICTO INFERNUM!_** "

The spell was followed by Voldemort shrieking "No, not that spell you fool! You will destroy my anchor! Argh! If you survive this, I will find you and kill you myself!" with that, Harry heard a rushing, moaning sound as something dark swept through the aisle next to him, and out the doors that flew open before it. Harry, however, did not have time to ponder what it was. He was more concerned about what that idiot Quirrel had done. His godfather had told him about Fiendfyre. Dark, almost impossible to control, and impossible to stop, it was only used by those who wanted nothing of the target area to remain, even as ash. He had to get out, and shut the doors, NOW. Spotting an old broomstick, Harry swiftly grabbed it and mounted, kicking off. In the midst of his launch, he plowed straight into the ugly bust, knocking it over into the fire. Somehow, and he wasn't sure how, the tiara that was on top of it got caught on his broom's handle. With a higher priority than removing it on his mind, Harry spun towards the doors and pushed the broom forward. A surge of flame shot up in front of him, catching the front half of his broom, but he yanked himself upwards swiftly, before it was consumed. Barreling out the doors, Harry slammed into the opposite wall. Dazed, he stumbled to his feet and dived at the doors, slamming the shut again. He collapsed to the floor as they vanished, and he smiled a tired smile of triumph. He slumped down against the cold stone floor and tried to figure out what he should do from here. Hearing a strange cracking sound, accompanied by dripping, Harry rolled over to look at the Broom, and the tiara still around its handle. His eyes widened in surprise at what he saw. The tiara was breaking apart, but that wasn't surprising. What  _was_  surprising is the fact that it was bleeding some sort of tar-like fluid through the cracks. Finally, it split in two, and the air was rent by a howling shriek as a dark mist appeared from the crack, before dissipating. Feeling tired beyond belief, Harry filed the sight away to mention to the Headmaster before rolling onto his back again, where he promptly fell asleep, exhausted mentally.

* * *

Sometime later, he woke up in a familiar setting. He closed his eyes and groaned. The Hospital Wing, again? Honestly! Pulling himself upright, Harry looked about blearily, fumbling about for his glasses on the bedside table. Putting them on, he looked around, and saw three familiar forms sleeping with their heads on his mattress. He smiled, and then shifted a little. He needed to go to the bathroom, but he couldn't even move. What now? Fortunately for him, the girls took note of his movement and woke quickly.

"Harry!" they cried as one, and he found himself buried under them. He smiled despite the discomfort of the impact, and patted what of them he could reach in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. After another few moments they sat back and he was able to focus better on them. He had known one would be Hermione, of course, but he didn't expect Hogwarts or Katie to be there. Definitely not Katie, because he barely knew her, and Hogwarts was unlikely because she never left the Room. Still, despite pinching himself, he had not woken up, and therefore this was not a dream, which meant that they were actually here.

"Well, that was quite the greeting!" he said cheerfully, smiling around at them all. "What happened while I was out?"

"When I woke up after dinner, I looked for you. I felt you unconscious inside the hall outside of the Room. So, not wanting to be seen bringing you here, I whispered to Dumbledore, Sirius, Katie, and Hermione. They came and got you, bringing you here." Hogwarts said, looking very teary-eyed. "What happened?"

"I have no idea. Just some trouble with Quirrel, although once I talk to Dumbledore he might help us figure things out." Harry replied honestly. It was true; he had no idea what had happened. He was there, but he didn't understand it at all.

Just then, Dumbledore's phoenix Fawkes, flashed into the room with a note to Harry. Opening it, he quickly read the single line on it, before nodding to himself.

"Katie, Hermione, I'll be right back. Hogwarts, can you meet us in the Headmaster's office?" he said aloud, and before anyone could reply, he grabbed onto Fawkes' tail feathers and vanished in a flash of flame, taking Harry with him.

* * *

A/N: Yes, that was a bit of a cliffhanger, and yes, I did cut the chapter a little shorter than I normally do, but I have a lot to say in the next chapter, and I wanted to give you guys _something_  to read.

As always, please review, even if you have before. Keep telling me what you think and want, and keep updating me on your guesses for the contents of the Harem. I'm like a little kid in a candy shop, reading those reviews makes my day. It is what makes this work worth it, so don't stop!


	4. The Lost House of Hogwarts

EDITED AS OF 9/12/12

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgment

Chapter Four

The Lost House of Hogwarts

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

In a flash of flame, Harry reappeared in the Headmaster's office. Fawkes settled on his head and trilled, causing Harry to smile and hold his arm up at chest height, which Fawkes hopped onto. Stroking the phoenix's head, Harry thanked him with a smile. Fawkes trilled again and glided over to his perch next to Dumbledore's desk.

"Harry, do you know why the Professor wanted you here? And why am I here?" asked Hogwarts from behind him, and Harry grinned.

"What, you didn't hear what he was talking about before he sent Fawkes for me? I thought you knew everything happening around here?" he asked, smirking as she blushed a little and laughed.

"I was more worried about you, Harry. You almost died right in front of the Room! You almost died  _in_  the Room!" she muttered, sounding distressed, and then rather embarrassed. "Besides, Professor Dumbledore doesn't need my protection, so I don't watch him, nor do I eavesdrop on his conversations, unless he asks me to tell him about events when a student is brought to him or another teacher."

"Yes, I can imagine that you can give him a very detailed and unbiased report of the goings on around the school." Harry said dryly, and Hogwarts laughed, before frowning slightly. Upon Harry's inquiring look, she shrugged in an annoyed fashion.

"I can't watch the dorms without the Head of House's permission, unfortunately." She grumbled angrily. "Something of an 'Internal House Affairs' Policy."

"So, in other words, if it happens inside the dorms, it is no one else's business and they can't do anything about it?" Harry asked, and Hogwarts nodded with an aggravated air. "That makes sense, but there isn't any sort of checks and balances going on there. They have complete power…" he murmured, half to himself and half to her.  _Standing here is getting a little old._  He thought to himself, looking around the office. Sitting down in one of the armchairs facing the desk, Harry gestured for Hogwarts to take the other. Instead, and much to his surprise, she opted to plop herself down in his lap instead. He  _oofed_ as she landed and she giggled.

"Sorry, Harry, I couldn't resist." She said with a broad smile and a wink, before getting a faraway look in her eyes. "Sirius and Albus will be here in thirty three seconds." She said casually, and Harry raised his eyebrows. Grinning cheekily at him, she held up a stopwatch that had appeared in her hand and showed him its face. He watched the time click down, and in the same instant that it hit zero, Harry heard the door open.

"Ah, Harry, glad that you are here." Dumbledore said, sweeping into the room and sitting behind his desk as Sirius took the other guest chair. He took in the sight of Harry sitting with Hogwarts sprawled in his lap, and his eyes' perpetual twinkle started working overtime. "I see that Hogwarts is with you. I hope she is comfortable?" he commented lightly, and Sirius barked out a laugh.

"Oh, I am, Albus, not to worry." Hogwarts said, smiling brightly at the Headmaster. "Harry's lap is really very comfortable!"

At this, Sirius began to guffaw loudly, ignoring Harry's furiously blushing glares directed at him as he made known his amusement at the situation. Shaking his head, still blushing, Harry looked at Hogwarts with an expression that clearly said "Really?" and she just smirked at him as she snuggled into his chest. Several minutes later, when Sirius had finally stopped laughing, Dumbledore adopted his "Headmaster Face", as Harry had dubbed it when he was younger.

"Harry, I need for you to explain to Sirius and I what happened during dinner tonight. It is important that you do not spare a single detail, no matter how insignificant it might be, from your review. Understand?" he said, no longer Harry's fun-loving, eccentric "Uncle", but now Chief Warlock, Headmaster, and Supreme Mugwump.

So Harry told his tale. All of it, every little detail that he could remember. Even a few details that he hadn't noticed at the time, like the voice that had been whispering in the back of his mind when he got near the tiara, the way he suddenly felt as though he had a horrible headache when he touched it, and the anger that had flashed through him as the tiara crumbled. Through it all, Sirius remained in his seat, Dumbledore behind his desk, and Hogwarts in his lap. At points, he actually found it hard to talk; she was holding him so tightly. Most noticeably, when he spoke of Voldemort, and of flying into the Fiendfyre.

"Well, Harry, I think I speak for all of us when I say that I am thrilled that you came through all right, and that you have given me much to ponder." Dumbledore said, and Sirius agreed quietly while Hogwarts just hugged him. "Now, it is time that I explain a few things to you. This is going to take a while, but please do not interrupt. Ask your questions at the end." Harry agreed quickly, his curiosity getting the better of him, and Albus leaned back in his chair.

"Centuries ago, in the time of Myyrdin, there was, of course, King Arthur and his knights. Each knight commanded their own forces, peasant and men-at-arms from their fiefdoms. Now, one of these knights was Godric Gryffindor. He is not mentioned in the history books because he had himself, and a few others, left unmentioned intentionally, although I can only speculate on their reasons. Among the men-at-arms serving Godric, there was a potter by the name of Harold. Thus, as was the typical of your time, he was known as Harold Potter. He was your ancestor." He said after a moment, before looking at Harry to make sure the boy was till with him mentally. Harry nodded mutely, eyes bright with curiosity and eagerness to learn of his family.

"Now, during one of the great battles against a rebel king, Harold saved Arthur's and Godric's lives. They were surrounded, having been recognized for what they were, and were close to being overwhelmed. Harold led a group of five men in an attack to rescue the King and his greatest General. These five men had the surnames of: Davis, Bones, Greengrass, Longbottom, and Black." Dumbledore paused as Harry gave a start. He knew those names! He knew Neville Longbottom rather well, Susan Bones a little less, and he obviously knew Sirius. Greengrass he had only heard associated with the Wizengamot, but he knew the Davis name very well. Healer Davis had been the Healer present at his birth, and the one who cared for him the night of his parent's murder. He had never met her, or her daughter Tracy, but he hoped too. He quickly refocused as Dumbledore continued.

"In recognition and gratitude, Arthur knighted them, made them Lords, and then gave them lands to go with their titles. Merlin examined them himself and judged them to have enough magical energy to make training a worthy endeavor, so their new titles also carried over to the magical world, although it was not as separate as it is now. That is how the Noble Houses by those names came into being. Through the centuries, they became wealthier and more powerful, until they became the Ancient and Noble Houses. Other names were added for a variety of reasons, until the Ancient and Noble Houses consisted of families: Greengrass, Longbottom, Potter, Black, Davis, Bones, Abbot, Emryys, and Peverell. Collectively, they were known as The Nine. Of course, Emryys was only added after Merlin's time. He refused for his entire waking days, but it was his great-grandson who finally caved in and accepted." He checked again to ensure Harry was keeping up, and Harry nodded firmly. There was no way he was going to miss any of this!

"Now, we get to the interesting part. I am sure that you are wondering why the House of Emryys is mentioned but those of the Four Founders are not?" Dumbledore asked, and Harry nodded quickly. He had, in fact, wondered about that, but as per the Headmasters request was keeping all of his questions to himself.

"That is because those lines eventually folded into the others. One generation of those families had only daughters to carry the name. Slytherin married into the Black family, Gryffindor into the Potter  _and_  Peverell family, Hufflepuff into the Abbot family, and Ravenclaw into the Bones family. Those bloodlines exist today inside of those families, although I doubt anyone other than myself and Hogwarts knew that." Here he looked to her for confirmation, and she nodded easily, clearly not paying much attention to the story at all, as she was now idly tracing patterns on Harry's chest, which he found immensely distracting, although not unpleasant.

"What is even less known, and something I know only thanks to Hogwarts herself, is that Emryys had marriages with all of those families save Black. This means…" Hogwarts cut him off.

"This means, Harry, that you are Heir not only of Emryys' House, but Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor."

The room was filled with absolute silence for a moment as Harry gaped at her like a fish, before he started to laugh. He laughed long and hard for several minutes before, tears of mirth streaming from his eyes and barely able to speak, he gasped out:

"Oh, that was a good one, Professor, Hogwarts. You really had me going there for a moment!" He wiped his eyes with the back of his hands and grinned. "Seriously though, what is my family's real history? I would like to know."

Hogwarts and Dumbledore just looked at him, and his grin slowly faded.

"You…you are serious?" he asked, and they nodded solemnly. He exploded. "UTTERLY LUDICROUS! IMPOSSIBLE, INSANE! I can't be related to them!"

"You are Harry!" Hogwarts cried as he paused in is tirade, and he gave her a scathing look of deep loathing before he shoved her off of his lap and onto the floor. Standing, he faced all three of the room's occupants, trembling with emotion. "I had hoped that you would finally do what was promised, and tell me about my family! But I see now I was stupid to trust that much! I should have known better!"

With that, Harry swept from the room, slamming the door behind him, leaving a shocked Sirius, regretful Dumbledore, and deeply distressed Hogwarts.

"Why doesn't he believe us? Why doesn't he believe  _me_!" she cried, sounding rather close to tears, and Sirius fidgeted awkwardly. How do you comfort a thousand year old castle's persona that was so unused to feeling human? He had no idea, so he made a safe assumption and did what he did when his kids were sad. He gave her a hug and rubbed her back.

"It's hard for him. They three of us know the truth, but he has spent his whole life without his parents. I can guarantee you I know what he is thinking right now." Sirius said quietly, although Dumbledore could still hear him. "He is thinking "They're lying, because if my family was so powerful and had all that history to it, then how could my parents have died so easily? How could I be the only Potter left? Why am I…alone?" his voice broke on the last word, and Dumbledore hung his head sadly. He regretted that day, and would for the rest of his life. He never should have convinced Lily and James to leave the ancient protections of Potter Castle, in Wales. Voldemort would never have been able to touch them there, but he foolishly though that the Fidelius would protect them, and they wouldn't have to be totally isolated from the rest of the world. After all, Sirius and Remus and the Rat had been able to visit, whereas, if Potter Castle was lock down, only those of Potter blood would survive encountering the wards. He had thought he had found a safe compromise, a middle ground that would allow them to see their loved ones without being in danger.

He had been so very wrong.

"Hogwarts, go after him. Show him the memory that you showed to us. He trusts you more than almost anyone. I don't know what it is about you, but he does." Sirius said, looking her in the eye, although his mouth twisted bitterly with his next words. "Even more than me and Marlene."

"Where should I take him though?" she asked, still distraught. "Besides, he hates me now; he thinks I lied to him about his family!"

"Why do you think he was so mad? He was hurt, he thought that his first friend, his closest confidant-you- had played a trick on him. He felt a deep personal betrayal had taken place! You need to show him it wasn't before he decides to totally close us out!" Sirius said, shaking her a little to get his point across. "Take him to the Emryys dormitories. That might help a little." She looked him in the eye and nodded, before vanishing. Sirius looked up at Dumbledore and sighed, shaking his head.

"We didn't even get to the rest of it. How will he handle that, do you think?" he asked, and Dumbledore shook his head.

"I don't know, but hopefully better than this."

"Doesn't it seem odd to you that I was just needing to comfort a one thousand year old castle about a boys opinion on her?" he asked, and Dumbledore smiled faintly, eyes regaining the twinkle they had lost during Harry's…departure.

"No. I think that she is gradually becoming more human, thanks to Harry. She has gone 1,000 years without having anyone, and now the one person she really does have hates her, or so she perceives it." Albus explained slowly, hoping that he was right and not leading Sirius astray. "She has human feelings now, and a focal point for them, but she has no idea how to handle it."

"Well, I hope she learns, fast, because Harry will need her." Sirius murmured, and Albus nodded solemnly with a heavy sigh. This could be a

long, long night…

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry was sitting on the battlements at the top of the Astronomy Tower, the Nimbus Two Thousand that he received from Sirius at his last birthday lying across his lap. He loved it up here, where he could see the stars, and look out across the grounds to the Quidditch fields, or Haggrid's hut. This is where he came when he needed to be alone to think.

 _I can't believe this. I thought that I would finally find out my families past. But noooo, they have to reel me in with that epic sounding war story about King Arthur and Merlin. That part was probably even at least a little bit true, but there is no way that I can be descended from Merlin and three of the Four Founders. If I was, I would have these amazing powers, wouldn't I? I could teleport between countries, stop the tides, make the sun rise in the west and set in the east! I would have been able to turn that troll into dust in the blink of an eye or something equally powerful. They're just playing games with me. Probably Sirius' idea, it's just the sort of prank the Marauders would pull._ He thought to himself, and a mental image of Hogwarts pained expression swam before his eyes. He grimaced. She had looked heartbroken when he had glared at her, and shoved her off of his lap. He hated that. It wasn't her fault, she didn't know how important this was to him, and she probably just wanted to have a laugh. Harry sighed. He would have to apologize. A soft sound from behind him caused him to look around and he smiled a little when he saw a fearfully apprehensive-looking Hogwarts standing there, gnawing on her bottom lip.

"Harry, can you please come with me? I…there is something I have to show you." She mumbled, looking down at the stone under her feet when their eyes met. Harry, who had been just about to apologize, frowned slightly in confusion, but shrugged and stood nonetheless. He followed her down the winding stairs of the tower and from there to the third floor. When at last they came to a halt in front of one of the many statues that lined the corridors, Harry was becoming annoyed again. He didn't mind getting apologized too, or walking through the halls with his friend, but this was a little ridiculous, especially after the events of earlier that night.

"What are we doing here, Hogwarts? I'm tired, and not in the best mood at the moment, especially not with  _you_." He growled finally, after they stood there for almost three full minutes of standing there. "So can you get to the point of whatever it is that needs doing?"

Still, Hogwarts remained standing still and silent, and Harry's expression became thunderous. He was in the middle of opening his mouth again, intent on making a few choice, blistering comments, when the statute-a knight in armor with a strange symbol on his breastplate, hands templed before him on the pommel of a claymore that rested point-first on the ground- turned its head to face him, and spoke in a deep, powerful voice.

"Hold your tongue, young mage. The Spirit of Hogwarts is no longer able to aid you in entering the House of Emryys. She has not earned your wrath this night. Calm yourself, and I shall judge you. " It said, and Harry felt a shiver go down his spine. The statue spoke so unlike the others, which had adopted modern speech and attitudes over the centuries. THs one spoke as though it was still in the middle ages. And what did it mean about judging him?

"How shall I be judged?" he said, trying to sound braver than he felt. He was pleased to find that he succeeded to some extent. At least, his voice didn't break.

"I will absorb a gestalt of your entire being, your soul, and judge you according to that gestalt. It will be a summation of all that is true about you, without any facades or physical illusions to disguise it." The statue replied evenly, its tone never wavering or changing in the least. "Should you pass, you will be recognized by the entire grounds and premises of Hogwarts as the Heir of Hogwarts, and the Head of House for the House of Emryys. Should you fail, I will destroy your mind, leaving your body and empty shell. I offer you one chance to withdraw. Accept, and you shall not be judged, and will walk away unharmed. Now, choose your path."

Harry stood there, shock overriding any coherent thought as his mind attempted to grapple with what was occurring tonight. Based on what this statue was saying, Hogwarts had been telling the truth, along with his Godfather and the Headmaster. Slowly, his logical side took over and he began to evaluate all of his options. The statue said he could leave and not be harmed. That was, in essence, giving up, which was something Harry was always leery of doing because, as his Auntie Marlene said, "It is a slippery slope that we stand on." He had always tried to persevere in that which he could, and disliked surrender of any kind. That left him two options: pass or fail. Given what Hogwarts and the two adults had said, he had every reason to believe that he would pass. Besides, he was a good person. Sure, he had played a prank or two, but that really shouldn't count against him. Still, the penalty of failure was daunting to say the least…

He took a deep breath and looked at the statue squarely. Steeling himself further he stepped forwards and spoke two words that would change his life forever.

"Judge me."

The statue nodded and removed one hand from the pommel of its sword. Reaching out, its index finger touched Harry in the center of his forehead. Harry howled in sudden pain that was to vast for comprehension and yet to brief to be truly felt. The pain was over before the scream had exited his mouth as the statue scanned his entire being. Collapsing to his knees, quivering in the echoes of the not-pain, Harry stared up at the statue, which looked back at him solemnly. The very fact that Harry was able to form thoughts and feel confusion suggested to him that he had passed, and he wasn't inclined to tempt Fate by asking about it. All the same…perhaps it would be best to acquire some sort of definitive confirmation.

"Did I pass?" he asked tentatively, clambering to his feet and shaking his head slightly to clear the ringing he swore he should be feeling.

"Yes, you are exactly as Hogwarts said. Enter, Heir of Hogwarts, and redeem this House." The statue said, before taking its claymore in hand, and plunging the blade into a slot in the center of its pedestal. With a grinding sound, the pedestal moved back further into the alcove, revealing a flight of stairs that lead down under the alcove. "This is the entrance to your common room. What do you choose as your password?"

"Umm…let's keep it simple for now, I suppose. Set the password as "Emryys", please." Harry replied with a shrug, and the statue nodded. Harry looked over at the still-immobile Hogwarts before glancing at the statue. Raising his eyebrow, he asked mildly. "Perhaps we could unfreeze Hogwarts now?"

"Ah, yes, of course." The statue said, and he would later swear that it sounded sheepish. "There you go, then." He waved one hand and Hogwarts immediately started talking.

"Okay Harry, this is the entrance to the Emryys dorms and common room. Now, you are going to…hold on, why is it open already?" she looked at the stairs, then at the statue, and then at Harry before turning to the statue again and frowning at it. "Arthur, did you freeze me again? I told you to stop doing that!"

"My dear Ni…Hogwarts, I have told you that I can't let you in until the Heir had returned. It's hardly my fault that you kept trying to enter anyway!" The statue replied, shaking its head in what looked to Harry like mock sorrow.

"Well, I needed to consult the Master and the Four, so you should have let me through for that!" Hogwarts fired back, and Harry groaned internally. From the sounds of things, this was a well-worn rut, one that would likely go on for a good while if he let it. Opening his mouth, he prepared to interrupt, but the statue-Arthur- replied before he could, tone slightly mocking.

"The same excuse, every time, for all these long centuries. Honestly, I thought you might have come up with something new by now! But noooooo, it's always "I have to consult…" here, Arthur adopted an annoyingly high-pitch voice, clearly intending to mock Hogwarts further by faking her voice horribly. It appeared that once the ritual of the Judgment was over, his tone and speech became more relaxed. Probably to make the students more comfortable, Harry reflected idly.

"Okay, you two, that's enough." Harry said firmly, holding up his hand in a silencing gesture. "I'm here, she can get in now, and everything is good, right?" he received grudging nods from both parties, and smiled reassuringly. "Then there isn't any reason for this millennia-old argument to go on, is there? Let's get along and play nice, children!"

Hogwarts rolled her eyes and smacked him on the back of his head while Arthur laughed, a booming chuckle that echoed loudly in the empty hall. Grabbing his hand, Hogwarts tugged him down the stairs and into the corridor under the alcove. Above them, Arthur's pedestal ground back over the entrance, and flaming torches burst to life all along the hallway. Hogwarts started forward again, pulling him down the hallway, which ended in a small balcony. Two curved staircases lead down into a large circular room, which had plush sofas and luxurious armchairs arranged around a massive central fire pit which roared merrily away. Its dancing light filled the room, and Harry felt warmth spread through him as he gazed into it, bringing a happy smile to his face.

"Hogwarts, where are we? The entrance was on the Fourth Floor, but if we went down we would be on the Third Floor, right?" Harry asked, confused. He had never seen anything on the Third Floor that would coincide with this room, never mind the dormitories!

"Silly Harry!" Hogwarts laughed, hugging him around the shoulders with one arm and shaking her head fondly at him. "I would have thought the answer was obvious!"

"I have no doubt that it is incredibly obvious, but why don't you enlighten a poor, overwhelmed child such as myself?" Harry replied dryly as he continued to gaze at the room before him.

"Magic, silly! The answer is magic! This entire area is something like the Room of Requirement, but not quite. It's actually a magical extension, so in a very real sense, we aren't even in "Hogwarts" anymore." Hogwarts chirped, and Harry rolled his eyes before slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Yes, or course, I should have known. Small wonders that you call me silly, huh?" He said, sounding a little sheepish even as he allowed a giggling Hogwarts to tug him down the left hand staircase and into the central room. From this lower vantage point, Harry was able to see three doors, one on either side of the Common Room (which is what he had to assume this massive circular chamber was) that no doubt led to the girls' and boys' dormitories, and one in the back, opposite him. Hogwarts confirmed his suspicions when she spoke up again.

"This is the Common Room for Emryys House. Over on the left is the hallway for the girls' dorms, while the door on the right leads to the boys'. The door straight across from us leads to the personal library of Emryys." She said, and Harry chuckled aloud. When she looked at him with a questioning look, he smiled at her.

"I can just imagine Hermione's reaction to hearing that this House actually has its own personal library." He answered her unspoken question, and laughed again. This time, Hogwarts joined him.

"You know, most of the Houses do have library's, they're just smaller than the main one, and have a more focused selection. The only House that doesn't is Gryffindor, because Godric himself hated reading with a passion. Apparently, he found it boring." Hogwarts continued her explanation after a moment. "Anyway, there is something really important that I have to show you, something only you can access."

With that, Hogwarts spun him around until he was facing the stairs again. Set in the bottom of the balcony stood an ironbound door. Pulling him over, Hogwarts pointed to a hand shaped groove on it.

"Put your hand on that, and the door will open. Only those with the blood of Myyrdin can open that door at first, and only they may decide who else can enter. What you will find inside will be very important." She told him softly, before checking a watch that had appeared on her wrist. "Listen, it's going to be time for the End of the Year Feast in about 15 minutes, so let's get you down to the Great Hall and then you can come back here and look around."

"Oh, come on, Hogwarts! I need to look in there!" Harry said pleadingly. He hated mysteries, and she had just dangled one in front of his face. "Besides, isn't it strange to have dinner and then a Feast?"

"You can wait until the feast is over! Besides, Katie and Hermione are worried sick! They've not seen you since the Hospital Wing! You need to let them know that you're alright!" Hogwarts replied, pulling him away. "And as to the other point you made, Dumbledore is ending the year a day or so early, so that he can adjust everything to accommodate the changes for next year, thanks to the Curse being lifted."

Harry made a face, but followed regardless. She was right, his friends needed to see him, and he owed them some sort of explanation. Maybe he could bring them down here? The sound of grinding stone brought him back to Earth, and he followed Hogwarts up and out of the entrance to the Lost House of Hogwarts.


	5. The Mausoleum of the Five

EDITED AS OF 9/24/12

As always, it is thanks to my beta-reader Dragon-Raptor that you lot are able to read this as well as you are. Many thanks to him! Read his work!

This Chapter is Dedicated to Dennisud, for figuring out what Hogwarts real name was!

I WILL GIVE A HUG AND A CANDY BAR TO ANYONE WHO CAN GUESS WHY, GIVEN HARRY'S GENETIC BACKGROUND, HOGWARTS IS ABLE TO EXIT THE ROOM OF REQUIREMENT AND GO WHERE HE GOES! I JUST GAVE YOU THE BIGGEST DAMN HINT POSSIBLE, PEOPLE!

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgment

Chapter Five

The Mausoleum of the Five

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

"Okay Harry, I've got to let you go alone from here. The students don't know about me, so I can't be seen. I'll see you in the morning, before you go, right?" Hogwarts said, stopping just outside the doors to the Great Hall. She sounded almost worried that Harry would leave without saying goodbye, and Harry shook his head fondly.

"Of course I will, I still didn't tell you the story behind these scars, did I? I'll meet you in the Emryys common room tonight after dinner." he said in reply, smiling at her as her eyes lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. Giving her a quick hug, Harry opened one large door just a crack and slipped through into the Hall. Ignoring the glances that came his way as he walked down the aisle, he kept moving until he came to the area of the Gryffindor table where Hermione and Katie sat with two girls that Harry had to assume were Angelina and Alicia. Katie and Hermione both had their backs to him, and he smirked as he quietly came up behind them. Angelina and Alicia both glanced his way and opened their mouths to say something, but he held his finger to his lips and they grinned in response before looking back down at their plates so that they wouldn't give him away.

"Hello ladies, mind if I join you for the meal?" he said in their ears. Both squeaked and jumped, causing Harry, Angelina, and Alicia to break out laughing as he sat down between them. Both Hermione and Katie hugged him with one arm and started questioning him. Harry was attempting to fend off both girls' questions and eat when a low buzzing was audible from his pocket. Holding up one finger to silence the girls, he reached down and pulled out his enchanted mirror. Tapping its face twice, he accepted the call, and Sirius' face appeared.

"Hey pup, I see that you decided to sit at the Gryffindor table instead of up here with me. Everything alright? You're not still holding a grudge from earlier, are you?" his godfather said, looking apprehensive.

"No, its fine. Our… mutual friend showed me a thing or two, and I know you were telling the truth now. I'll show you after the feast, she said there were a few more things to be seen." Harry replied, and Sirius' expression cleared. With a grin, Sirius nodded and cut the call.

"What was that all about, Harry? And what type of magic was that?" Hermione asked, looking at the mirror with great interest.

"And where have you been? You never came back from the Headmaster's office, and when we asked your godfather where you were, he said he had no idea!" Katie added, ignoring the mirror and looking at Harry with a slight frown.

"I'm sorry, both of you. I had a lot of stuff on my mind, and I hear a few things. I'll show you guys later on tonight, if I can manage it. Anyway, what have you two been up too?" he replied, picking up his knife and fork again and attacking his steak with renewed vigor. The girls went on to explain that they had been chatting about home and discovered that they lived only 4 miles away from each other. Evidently, they had gone to the same primary school, but had never met each other due to the difference in age, the size of the student population in general and Hermione's… reclusive nature. They had been energetically discussing summer plans, with the hopes of including Angelina and Alicia whenever possible, all dinner and were both dead set on having Harry visit them. Both girls wanted him to visit them, and had something of a verbal tug-of-war over it until he pointed out that to visit one was to visit the other. The trio, along with Angelina and Alicia, began chatting about casual and normal topics for the duration of dinner, unaware that they were being watched.

Sirius was watching with a smirk, pleased that his young Pup had finally left the den and really started to get to know the people he was going to be spending the next six years of his life in constant contact with. Moreover, they were all girls, something that pleased him to no end. What with all their traveling, and his larger-than-normal knowledge of magic for one his age - in addition to his fame - Harry had always kept to himself, only really relaxing around his surrogate family here at the school or at the Black house.

A twinkling Dumbledore watched with pleasure and happiness, but as always, when it came to this young man, it was marred by the dark thoughts that always revolved around the lad's future.

A seething Severus Snape glared balefully at the happy youth, telling himself that he had been right the entire time, and that the boy would be nothing more than a clone of his father and the other Marauders. There he was, chatting cheerfully with his already-started fan club. His ego was no doubt horrid already, and would only be worse as the attention grew.

A jealous but calculating Ron watched and listened from nearby, gathering any information he could to aid him in his goal of making the Boy-Who-Lived his friend. It was obvious that he could gain the most by getting closer to the bookworm and the Bell girl. They appeared to be close to him, and he might be able to copy the bookworm's work at the same time! Soon his brothers would see his true worth!

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Sometime later, Harry led the two girls to the statue of Arthur. He hadn't told them anything beyond that what he had to show them would be an eye opener, so they were understandably confused when he stopped in front of an apparently unimportant statue standing in an alcove. Naturally, there confusion grew even more when Harry spoke the password. It was priceless, in Harry's opinion, when their jaws dropped and their eyes widened to the point of being almost disturbingly large when Arthur opened the passage to let them enter.

"Harry, where exactly are we? This looks like a dormitory, but nothing in  _Hogwarts, A History_ mentions anything about an extra dorm, other than the dorm for the Head Boy and Girl. Besides, nothing in the architecture of the castle indicates the location of a room of this size!" Hermione asked, speaking very fast, as was her wont when she was stressed or sharing her knowledge with others.

"Breathe, Hermione, breathe." Harry said with a grin, and she blushed, while staring at him expectantly, clearly still waiting for an answer. Next to her, Katie' face had the same intrigued and fascinated expression, and Harry's grin broadened. "The way that it was explained to me, this entire dorm is not technically inside the school, but rather a separate magical extension that is only  _tied_  to the school. That's why the actual architecture doesn't reflect its presence. As for  _Hogwarts, A History_ , well…" Harry grimaced as he led the girls to one of the larger couches in front of the bonfire that still blazed away in the center of the room. "Let's just say that the value of that book would be best reflected in its copious amount of kindling supplies. Hogwarts already told you it was wrong and gave you a better version, remember?"

Hermione looked scandalized that anyone would consider using a book as kindling for a fire. Or, perhaps it was the idea that a book was so hopelessly wrong so as to be  _used_  for kindling that horrified her so. Harry wasn't entirely sure either way, but her expression was amusing nonetheless, and he told her so.

"Oh shut it, Harry. I guess it was a habitual reaction, and I haven't had a chance to check out the 'real' Hogwarts history book yet." Hermione said with a blush, and Harry chuckled at her embarrassed tone.

"So, Harry." Katie interrupted, keen on getting information while preventing them from bickering. "Where are we exactly?"

"This, girls, is the Common Room for the lost house of Hogwarts. The House of Emryys." Harry said. As the girls stared at him in a mixture of awe and confused disbelief, Harry related to them everything he knew and had learned about the truth of Hogwarts past. After a rather long round of questioning, some of which Harry was unable to answer, the three friends looked around the dorms, with Hermione and Katie noting the differences between them and those in Gryffindor Tower. Harry was just sitting back down on a couch with a girl on each side when Hogwarts entered the room.

"Harry, I think it's time to show you and the girls what is behind that door at the base of the steps. Now, you need to understand that your first impressions and everything you know is not relevant anymore." She said, sounding extremely nervous. "Just… bear with me, okay?"

Confused and somewhat apprehensive, Harry and the girls nonetheless agreed readily that they would keep themselves well in hand and try to not overreact. Of course, they had no idea what exactly was going on, but they trusted Hogwarts. Following Hogwarts instructions, Harry placed his hand in the groove on the door. With a whispering sound, the door faded away into a mist that Hogwarts gestured for Harry and the girls to walk through. As soon as Hogwarts followed them through it, the mist re-coalesced to form the door once more. Harry stared into the shadows, trying to discern shapes or even a far wall, but all he could see was darkness. Quite suddenly torches flared to life, revealing a small circular room. Five large stone sarcophagi sat on a dais in the center of the room, and behind each lay a portrait. Harry stepped up to the dais and looked at the emblem carved into the sarcophagus in the center. It bore a crossed caduceus and claymore superimposed by a stylized E. Not recognizing it in the least, Harry looked over at the other four sarcophagi, and his eyes widened in shock. He knew those emblems all too well. The Lion, the Badger, the Eagle, and the Serpent.

"What is this place?" Katie gasped, coming up on his left while Hermione came up beside him on the right. Both girls were staring down at the Sarcophagi with him.

"These… these are the symbols of the Founders!" Hermione gasped, stating the obvious in her surprise.

"Yes, they are. Welcome to the Mausoleum of the Five Founders." Hogwarts said, walking around to stand behind the dais. "Their resting place."

"You mean… this is where they are actually buried?" Harry asked, feeling a little skeptical in spite of himself. Hogwarts opened her mouth to respond, but a voice from one of the portraits cut her off .

"We will take it from here, my dear Nimue. I think it would be best." The voice said, and Harry frowned. He thought back to what Arthur had almost called her. So, her name was Nimue? Interesting, perhaps then… His thought process was cut short abruptly as torches near the portraits flashed to life.

One portrait held a tall, regal-looking man with black hair and green eyes, dressed in red and gold armor with the emblem of a rampant lion emblazoned on it, a silver hilted broadsword in his hand. Gryffindor. Beside his was that of another man, with red hair and blue eyes, wearing half-plate armor of green and black. A golden locket was around his neck, and both the armor and the locket bore the mark of a serpent, as did the base of the blade to the massive claymore beside him. On the right side were the portraits of two women, wearing dresses of a very fine make and bearing the sigils of Lady Ravenclaw and Lady Hufflepuff. None of them looked a day over 30 in those portraits, either. It was the center portrait, however, that made the biggest impression on him. An older looking man, who appeared to be about 50 years of age, was standing in front of a grouping of stone pillars that looked rather familiar. The man looked rather nondescript compared to the other portraits' inhabitants, wearing only a flowing gray set of robes with an emerald green cloak. In one hand was a long, sturdy looking oak staff. It was covered with strange and alien runes and carvings. Harry's eyes widened when he noticed that the runes and carvings were  _glowing_ with pure magic. This could only be one person, and Harry stared in awe as Merlin simply stood in his painting and smiled down at the three young students. After several moments of silence, Gryffindor finally couldn't keep his mouth shut any longer.

"Well, are you young things going to say anything or do we have to drag it out of you? Honestly, the youth of today! Just standing there and staring." he burst out in impatience, his loud voice causing the three first years' heads to snap around and stare at him. A light chuckle from Ravenclaw's portrait caused them to change to gazing at her.

"Come now, my dear Godric. They just found themselves in a secret room, to meet with the Founders of the school which they attend! You must… what is that modern saying? Ah yes! You must 'Cut them some slack'." She said chidingly, but Godric simply rolled his eyes and made a show of putting his fingers in his ears. Ravenclaw huffed and crossed her arms, turning her back to him while Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Merlin laughed at the expense of their fellows.

"Don't worry Godric, old friend. She never could ignore you for very long, remember?" Slytherin said with a pronounced smirk.

"Ah, Salazar? Did you perhaps forget that one time where she ignored me for a decade? I assure you, her stubbornness is without compare." Godric replied, before flashing a glance in Ravenclaw's direction as he continued. "Of course, her beauty is equally beyond compare, but we already all knew that, didn't we?"

Harry had to cough into his fist to hide a laugh at the glaringly obvious attempt at shameless butt kissing displayed before him, which again drew the portraits attention to them.

"Something to say, boy?" Salazar and Godric said together.

Harry just shook his head in bemusement, but then Hermione stepped forward tentatively.

"I have a question, Lords Gryffindor and Slytherin?" she said quietly.

"Of course, my dear. Ask away." Godric replied while Slytherin nodded. Hermione seemed to take a moment to gather her courage, before speaking very fast indeed.

"'swhyyourhouseshateeachother?"

Silence reigned for a full minute and a half before Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Merlin, and Gryffindor turned as one to look at Ravenclaw.

"She's got to be one of yours, Rowena. Only your students can speak that long that fast and not pass out." Slytherin said dryly. "Would you care to translate what she just said for us?"

"She  _said_  that she thought that the two of you." Here she pointed to Godric and Salazar. "Hated each other and that Godric killed Salazar because he was racist and hated Muggles and Muggle-borns and tried to kill them all, all of them which attended the school, and that you used to be best friends but became archenemies and that is why your houses hate each other." Rowena said calmly, looking at Hermione for confirmation. Upon the latter's nod, Salazar and Godric looked at each other, back at Hermione, then at each other again before bursting into raucous and  _very_  loud laughter.

"Us, hate each other and try to kill one another? Preposterous!" Slytherin chortled.

"I have no idea where you got your facts, young miss, but we never hated each other, and neither did our houses!" Godric added.

"I am curious however, by whom you refer to when you say "Muggles' and 'Muggle-borns'? I confess that these terms are not familiar to me." Hufflepuff spoke up quietly.

Harry and the girls hesitated. Hogwarts had already told them that Slytherin's hate for Muggles and Muggle-born was real, so he felt somewhat leery of telling them what those words meant, especially given that Hermione was a Muggle-born. Still, it would be rude not to answer, and they had to find out eventually, he supposed, so might as well get it over with sooner rather than later. Like pulling off a Band-Aid.

"Muggles are non-Magical people, and Muggle-borns are people with magic from non-magical families." Hermione said, raising her chin in something akin to defiance. "I am one."

Instantly, Slytherin's face twisted into a dark scowl filled with hatred and pain. His fellow portraits looked at each other nervously, before sidling further away in their frames.

"So, a  _lutum sanguine_ , then. Humph, likely your friends as well. A disease upon wizarding kind, and one that ought to be cut away." Slytherin growled while the other Founders shuffled awkwardly.

Harry was well versed enough in Latin to understand the insulting comment, and his eyes narrowed. He didn't know if Hermione had understood, but if she hadn't, so much the better. She was well read enough to know what the translation meant, and somehow he doubted that knowing she had been called 'Mudblood' by one of the Founders would be… beneficial for her or her sense of self-esteem.

"You had better shut your mouth." He growled back, glaring.

"Oh, or what? What can a child like you do?" Slytherin sneered back at him arrogantly.

"I'll see just how many Ignition and Blasting spells it takes to destroy your portrait, that's what! No matter who you are, no one insults my friends." Harry replied coldly, pulling out his wand and twirling it through his fingers like Sirius had taught him. Slytherin just stared at him, and the room was filled with an awkward silence until Merlin finally decided to break it by clearing his throat.

"Well, perhaps it would be best if we explained to you why we asked Hogwarts to bring you here once you arrived." He said calmly, and Harry looked over at him.

"Yes, perhaps it would be best to discuss something else before anything… unfortunate, happens." Harry replied, voice warming a few degrees, but still not warm by any stretch of the word.

"Yes, indeed." Merlin agreed firmly. "Now, we asked you here to explain to you one simple fact." He paused for a moment, clearly inviting Harry to ask, and Harry rolled his eyes before taking the bait.

"What simple fact is that?" He asked, trying - and failing - to keep his exasperation from his voice.

"Hogwarts told you of your family ties, I presume?" He didn't even wait for Harry to nod before continuing. "Then you know that you are related to 4 of we five by blood. This, by the ancient magiks, means that you are our heir, and therefore may claim everything we possess."

"That's… nice, but what precisely are you really trying to say here?" Harry said slowly, feeling a strong sense of foreboding.

"It means that we, as the owners and guardians of Hogwarts, now must pass those responsibilities on too you." Merlin said firmly.

"Which means… what, exactly?" Harry asked, the foreboding feeling growing even larger.

"It means, Harry, that you are Lord and Master of Hogwarts and all its lands and titles." Hogwarts told him, and his mind blanked. Only one word was in his mind at the moment, and he voiced it.

Loudly.

"WHAT?"

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

A/N: congrats to Dennisud for being the only one to figure out who she (Hogwarts) was beforehand!

 


	6. Chapter 6

EDITED AS OF 9/24/12

 **IMPORTANT!**  I HAVE HAD SOMEONE I KNOW SET UP A FACEBOOK PAGE FOR ME, AND I MADE A TWITTER! PLEASE JOIN/LIKE/FOLLOW THEM, I WOULD LOVE TO CHAT WITH YOU GUYS ON THEIR! EVEN BETTER, YOU COULD CHAT WITH EACHOTHER AND BOUNCE IDEAS AROUND FOR THIS STORY! WHO KNOWS, I MIGHT USE THEM! CHECK MY PROFILE!

BTW, that was in such large print because I'm pretty sure you guys don't read the author's notes, lawlz.

As always, thanks of epic proportions to DRAGON-RAPTOR, the most pro beta ever to walk the cyber-earth of fanfiction.net!

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgment

Chapter Six

The Pain of a Thousand Years Past

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

"WHAT?" Harry shouted, louder than usual in his surprise. Hermione and Katie had simply gasped and looked at each other and him. "That… that… it  _can't_ be true! Nobody owns Hogwarts, it is a well-documented fact!"

"Actually, Harry, it really makes sense." Hermione said quietly, and he turned his gaze to her. She flushed slightly, but stared him in the eyes as she continued. "You are the Heir to four of the Founders, so…"

"Five." Nimue interrupted absently, and Hermione watched with trepidation as Harry seemed to swell visibly.

"What do you mean by 'five?'" he said calmly, surprising her. She had expected Mount Harry to have gone sky-high at this point. She really was impressed by his restraint.

"Exactly what I said. You're the Heir of Slytherin by the ancient magics of the Rite of Conquest. You beat him, so his power and his magical heritage are now yours." Nimue explained calmly and gently.

"Great, anything else that I should know, perhaps? My mother was actually a pureblood and my dad was a Muggle-born?" Harry asked cuttingly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Nimue winced slightly and coughed delicately into one hand, and he raised his eyebrows at her. "Something to add,  _Nimue_?"

"First of all, relax. I was forbidden to tell you anything until the proper time." Nimue started sternly, and Harry rolled his eyes before nodding in acceptance. "Secondly, your mother was actually a half-blood. Her father-her  _real_  father - was a wizard, but he died in a duel with a criminal when she was a week old and her mother remarried, having never known what he really was. Therefore, she was registered as a Muggle-born. Her mother was told he was killed by a gunman, but in reality he was an Auror, and a good one."

"But, that shouldn't be possible! Doesn't the school have this book that writes down the names of every one with magical ability once they are born? You had to know!" Katie protested, as Harry appeared to have gone into shock, staring blankly with his mouth hanging slightly open and glazed eyes.

"Not quite, Katie. The book only records those whose names are added by their parents, or Muggle-borns whose parents don't know. Therefore, since her father died before he registered her and her mother and step-father never knew, she wasn't registered early on, so she was thought by everyone to be a Muggle-born." Nimue explained, looking with no small amount of apprehension and concern at Harry, who had yet to snap out of his daze.

"So, does that make Harry a Pureblood?" asked Hermione, biting her lip at the sudden surge of fear that flashed through her. If Harry was a Pureblood, then would he still want to be friends with her? After all, she was just a Muggle-born, and not a very pretty one at that.

"Don't worry 'Mione. It doesn't matter whether I am Pureblood or not, I'll always stay with you, no matter what. And you aren't ugly, far from it, so stop it right now." Harry said sharply, coming back to reality in a flash. Hermione frowned to herself. She hadn't said that aloud, had she?

Nimue meanwhile had relaxed marginally when it appeared Harry wasn't going to scream at her again. It had broken her heart last time. She was really rather fond of him, ever since he had first been brought to her grounds as a baby, and he meant so much to her. She smiled a little when Harry - inadvertently, it appeared - read Hermione's thoughts and soothed her fears. It appeared that she had been right in guessing that Harry was one of those rare people who could form Soul Ties. It made sense though, since it ran in the family.

The sound of someone clearing their throat brought their attention back to the portraits. Godric, Rowena, and Merlin were looking on with amusement, while Hufflepuff was beaming and teary eyed at Harry's last comment. Only Slytherin seemed determined to try and spoil the mood, as it seemed he was the one who had cleared their throat.

"Yes, well, you are now the Lord Protector of the Hogwarts castle and its grounds, including the small village of Hogsmeade, with all the rights and responsibilities therein, blah, blah, blah. I'm going back to sleep." Slytherin said, moving as if to exit his portrait.

"I think not, Salazar. It is your duty to help instruct the new Lord. Besides, it is time that you let go of your grudge, my old friend. It has been a thousand years." Godric said firmly, and Salazar whipped back to face him, anger contorting his features. Harry, however, saw the grief that filled his eyes, a pain of a tragedy a thousand years past. In his anger, his apparent control slipped and a thick brogue surfaced.

"Damn you, and your duty, Godric! A thousand years, is it? Aye! A thousand years of remembering! A thousand years of reliving my daughter's death! A thousand years of the memory of holding her in my arms as I watched her life flee from her body through wounds inflicted by  _HER HUSBAND_. I watched the light in her eyes fade, my hands stained by her blood! I watched as she went from being the most brilliant witch since Rowena to just another corpse, another body on a field of hundreds! Her husband then led his traitorous  _lutum sanguine_  to kill even more students, including your youngest son, Godric!  _You_  should know my pain, feel the hate as I do!" Salazar was panting slightly as he finished, seemingly unaware of the tears running down his cheeks. Both Hermione and Katie looked horrified, and both were crying just as hard. Harry was simply shocked. Now he knew why Hogwarts said they should keep control of their tempers and not to make assumptions.

"No, I shouldn't." Godric answered simply. "Those who perpetrated the attack, those who participated, all were slain. The one who slew my son,  _his best friend_ , who literally stabbed him in the back with a toxin-laced blade, perished by my hand. I have had my vengeance, and I have moved on. Not all, as our Heir calls them, "Muggles" and "Muggle-borns" are evil, Salazar. You need to move on."

"I can't!" Salazar growled. "I don't think I could, even if I wanted to. Not after a thousand years."

"Please, can we see what happened?" Hermione asked quietly, and Salazar sneered at her in response.

"What, you want to get tips on how to do a repeat?" he hissed. He turned to face Harry. " _Take my word for it boy. All she will do is use you and then betray you, casting you aside and destroying you in the process."_

 _"I doubt that. I care for her very much, and I know she cares for me just as much. I would also like to see it."_ Harry replied, recognizing the Parseltongue for what it was. Five years ago, a poisonous snake was about to strike Sirius when Harry spotted it. In his desperation, he had automatically spoken in Parseltongue, ordering it to stop. Ever since then, Sirius and Marlene had helped him cultivate it and learn it to a greater extent.

"Well, I  _am_  impressed. You speak Parseltongue." Slytherin commented in normal English. He frowned for a moment. "However… your pronunciation is a little off, so I'll have to give you my journals to teach you how to speak it properly." His expression hardened. "All the same, if you want to see what happened so badly, then we will show you."

"Thank you, Lord Slytherin." Hermione said softly, but the man simply scoffed and all five portraits pointed their wands at Nimue, long silvery strands emerging and sinking into her temples before vanishing. She closed her eyes and abruptly the world spun out of control.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry, Hermione, and Katie fell to their knees in shock and disorientation as the very fabric of space and time seemed to twist wildly, eyes closed tightly to try and keep from throwing up. When everything stopped moving and they opened their eyes, they were in the same room, except that it was empty. Nimue motioned for them to follow her, and they exited into the common room of Emryys' House. Following Nimue, they reached the Room of Requirement and went inside through the already-open door.

"Godric, you have another cohort coming up on your left flank. They have no magus with them, so finish them off quickly and wheel right. You should then be able to turn the flank of the company approaching Salazar." The heard someone say from further into the Room. Looking closer, they saw Ravenclaw standing over a massive three-dimensional image of the castle and the grounds, including Hogsmeade village. It was incredibly detailed, with each scaled, fully detailed, individual group of soldiers or warriors for both sides labeled by floating bars of red or green, indicating whether they were allies or enemies. Over on the right, there was a small cluster of white guarded by an equally small cluster of green, and one dark blue dot. Looking down at what Harry realized was the world's greatest Heads-Up Display, Ravenclaw seemed to be speaking into thin air, and Harry looked on in confusion. There had been no forms of instant long-range communications that didn't have to operate on a line of sight basis.

"She is using a Verbal Transference Charm. Paired with the Audible Transference charm, it allowed whomever it was cast on to hear and be heard across the spell's entire web, or as they would say now, 'network'. She can't see us or hear us. The battle has been underway for nearly an hour at this point, and many have perished on both sides, although most of the enemy wizards have perished, leaving their Muggles vulnerable to the defenders attacks." Nimue explained quietly as they watched the HUD shift and change.

"Helga! You have an enemy cohort coming straight at you, they have seven magi!" Ravenclaw barked suddenly, and Harry saw a large group of red dots heading straight for the cluster of white.

 _"Not good, my group can't handle that many. I won't be able to stop them from getting to the younger students. "_ Hufflepuff's voice was loud and clear in the room, and Ravenclaw swore.

"Godric, Salazar, can you send anyone to reinforce Helga?" She snapped, eyes flying as she rapidly scanned the HUD.

 _"No, damn it all. Sal and I are still smashing their main forces; we won't be able to get there for another three-quarters of an hour. Can the Master get back in time?"_  Godric replied, voice grim and tired.

"Gods, I hope so. Hold them off as long as you can, Helga. I will bring my groups to your assistance!" Ravenclaw said firmly, starting to prepare to leave the Room.

 _"No! You must protect the castle, and the Heart! If the Heart falls then everything is for naught! You must continue to coordinate this battle, or else we shall all fall!"_ Helga replied quickly, even as her blue dot and her small group of greens strung out to form a ragged defensive line in front of the cluster of what Harry and the two girls realized had to be the younger students, those about their own age.

 _"This is Artorious. My forces are a half-hour away, just passing Hogsmeade village. Master Myyrdin is leading my mounted battle-mages to flank the enemy attacking Lady Hufflepuff. I shall lead my main force to help Lords Slytherin and Gryffindor in mopping up the main force. After we finish this, perhaps you can help me decide the fates of the ringleaders of this act who are waiting in chains beneath Camelot."_ A young man's youthful, yet hard and grim voice came from nowhere even as a massive wave of green came boiling up from outside the image, through Hogsmeade. Another, good-sized block of green led by an icon of pure gold moved rapidly on a direct line from the village towards Helga's position. Suddenly, Harry heard a scream of pain echo over the spell link as several of the green and white dots abruptly turned red. The HUD flashed as the red grappled with the green, even as the larger swarm of red drew ever closer.

_"Traitors! Godric, Salazar, get here now! Some of the students were waiting to betray us at the last moment! Leave your opponents to Arturias! I…oh, my God….CELESTINA!"_

_"Helga, what's happening? I'm coming, just hold together for a few more minutes! All forces, disengage and move to Lady Hufflepuff's location! Protect the children!"_ Slytherin shouted, sounding panicked.

"We should go to the grounds, for the next part. I'll pause the memory." Nimue said softly. It appeared that having to relieve what was probably one of her worst memories ever had but her into a uncharacteristically somber mood, and in the bank of his mind Harry was worried for her. He hadn't even apologized for yelling at her yet. Resolving to do so at the earliest opportunity, he led the girls after Nimue as she walked out of the room.

Reaching the grounds, the girls gagged and covered their mouths while Harry stiffened. Bodies were everywhere, the remains of humans of both sexes and all ages. The memory un-froze, and the scene of horror grew worse as the world started again. The wounded sobbed as they dragged themselves over the ground, futilely seeking comfort and shelter, or even simply trying to escape the horror around them. Others called out for their mothers, their fathers, anyone to come help them. Worse were those who were silent, waiting silently for their life to leave them. Wrapping an arm each around Katie's and Hermione's shoulders, Harry grimly continued after Nimue as she lead them toward the Black Lake, the girls crying into his sides. Harry had seen some messed up things in his time, mostly on TV or in a movie, but this… this was so much more real. Reaching their destination, the four visitors to this horror watched as Godric's son fell to a blade in the back from his best friend. Slytherin held his daughter in his arms as she died, while Godric swiftly slaughtered his way through the enemy, sword and wand flashing in a deadly dance. When the last enemy fell to his blade - his son's murderer, in fact - he rushed over to Helga and checked on her carefully, before both swept over to Slytherin. Harry and his companions watched as Slytherin howled his grief and rage to the stars, refusing to relinquish his grip on his daughter's corpse despite his close friends' attempts to coax him into letting go.

The mounted battle-mages came racing over the hill and almost literally skidded to a halt, several dismounting to look over the wounded, casting diagnostic and healing spells while those that remained mounted formed a watchful perimeter. A tall, older looking man that Harry suddenly recognized to be Merlin swept across the grass to kneel beside his four students and co-Founders.

"Let go, young Salazar. There is nothing more that can be done for her, save for a proper burial. Let go of your anger, come to term with your grief, and move on." Myyrdin said quietly, laying his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Silence! Damn it all, it was  _your_  house that committed this crime!  _Your_  students were the majority of the enemy mages!" Salazar snarled back, shaking his hand off even as he rose to his feet, still cradling his daughter's body in his arms.

"Yes, and I have cursed my house until the time that the true Heir of Hogwarts comes to the school, the one who will redeem my house and bring Hogwarts to glory." Myyrdin replied grimly, reaching into his robes and pulling out an orb. "Come, see this prophecy."

A small figure of a young woman rose out of the orb and spoke in a raspy voice.

 _"When the Heir returns, so shall the disgraced house be redeemed. He shall be accompanied by his val'kyr, and his Hand will deal judgment upon the wicked and unjust, for it his fate to fight the darkness and bring the world peace… when the Heir of Hogwarts returns…"_  The figure slowly sank back into the orb, and the memory faded as Slytherin walked away towards the castle, holding his daughter's body.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Again, Harry and the girls gasped and swayed as they returned to the present. Harry recovered quicker than the others and helped them steady themselves carefully.

"So, know you know my pain. What say you now,  _lut…_ " Slytherin started to say coldly, a sneer marring his features again.

"Stop." Harry interrupted, equally cold. "Do not attach your past grief to Hermione. Not all Muggle-borns are evil traitors, especially not in this day and age."

"He's right. The magical world would have died out a long time ago if Muggle-borns didn't marry into it, refreshing the bloodlines. Not to mention that the magical world would be even more culturally stagnant than it already is." Katie chimed in.

"I'm so sorry…" Hermione whispered, eyes still wet with tears. She looked up at Slytherin, who appeared shocked, so much so that he had lost his hateful expression. "What they did was unforgivable, and it makes me want to be ashamed to call myself a Muggle-born after seeing such horror. But the world has changed, My Lord Slytherin. Not everyone who isn't 'pure' is evil, and not all those who are 'pure' are good."

"Hmph… apology accepted, wench, but that doesn't mean I believe the rest of it. You, at least, seem decent enough, but I refuse to believe others are like you until I see it." The portrait replied gruffly, but with none of the cold loathing permeating his tone any longer. It seemed to Harry as though Slytherin had noticed Hermione's blatant and honest remorse and horror at the actions of her predecessors.

"Why don't we do that, then?" Katie said suddenly, and everyone looked at her. Blushing slightly at the attention, but steadfast, she explained. "Why don't we take their portraits out with us for a time, so that they can see what the world is like now?"

"A good idea young miss, but most regrettably, our portraits cannot leave this place at the moment. It is not possible." Godric said with a hint of a Welsh accent.

"No, but there is still a way." Myyrdin said contemplatively, beckoning Nimue over and whispering something to her. Nimue nodded in acquiescence with whatever he said to her before returning to Harry. Standing in front of him, she pulled of his glasses carefully.

"What are you doing? I can't see anything without those you know!" Harry protested, eyes narrowed in a rather futile attempt to discern his surroundings. Everything was just a blur of light or dark blobs.

"Just hold on for a moment… wow, your eyesight  _is_  truly horrific… there we go!" Nimue replied, doing something he couldn't quite discern, even as close as he was. She slid his glasses back onto his face and settled them properly.

"Thanks for giving my glasses back." Harry grumbled at her while she just grinned at him and Katie and Hermione giggled behind their hands. "What was that all about, then?"

"No problem, glad to help you out." She replied, and he stuck his tongue out at her. She laughed and continued. "I enchanted your glasses to send whatever you see to that wall, which will project the images for the portraits. They can see what is happening from your point of view."

"You'll have to teach me that little trick sometime…" Harry muttered to himself, before checking his watch and blanching. "It's almost eleven at night; we need to get to bed. I'm leaving again in the morning and you two are as well."

"How will we get back to our dorms without getting caught out after curfew?" Hermione asked, sounding petrified of being caught breaking the rules.

"I'll get you ladies there. Harry will sleep in Emryys House for tonight." Nimue said, holding her hands out for the girls to take. Once they had, the three bade Harry goodbye before Nimue closed her eyes in concentration. With a shimmer, the three disappeared.

"Neat trick." Harry commented before turning his attention back to the portraits who seemed to be watching the antics with great amusement. "I bid you all a good night as well. I will only be able to show you just so much of how Hogwarts School has changed before I leave, but I suppose you can see how the world itself has changed until I return here next school year."

"We look forward to that, young man. Sleep well." Myyrdin said with a smile, and Harry waved before walking through the door.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Behind him, the portraits looked at each other and laughed as one.

"Do you think any of them even noticed the prophecy?" Ravenclaw said, grinning slightly.

"If anyone did, I bet it was Hermione. I can tell that girl is brilliant. Like you, Row." Godric said to her, and she nodded proudly.

"I will be interested to see what the outside world is like now. Did you hear that other girl talk about how the Magical world is culturally stagnant?" Hufflepuff chimed in, and the others nodded, feeling solemn. "For her to say it as she did, it must be worse than we thought."

"Well, I'm still against these "Muggles" and "Muggle-born". Take note of it." Salazar grumbled, breaking the solemnity of Hufflepuff's comment as everyone laughed.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

The next morning, Katie and Hermione got up early and snuck out of the dorms to see Harry and Sirius off. Seeing his two best friends growing slightly teary eyed at his departure, he chuckled softly to himself before hugging them each in turn.

"No worries girls. Just send me letters with Katie's owl, and I'll be down to see you in a few weeks. Take care, and stay safe." He said as he pulled away and swung a leg over his broom. "I'll see you soon!" With that, he and Sirius kicked off and soared towards Hogsmeade, and from there to their next adventure.

"I miss him so much already…" Katie murmured, and Hermione nodded sympathetically.

"I do too, Katie. I do too, but we will have all summer with him once he gets back."

Katie smiled at the thought and the pair of them turned and walked back into the castle, already chatting about where they would go and what they would do once Harry was back.


	7. Summer

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgment

Chapter Seven

Summer

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

"Hermione, Katie! Lunch is ready!" Emma Granger called up the stairs of the family's home in Surrey.

"We're coming, Mum!" Hermione called back, and Katie sighed from beside her on the bed.

"Figures that she would call us right in the middle of this. We were having so much fun too." She moaned, pillowing her head in the crook of Hermione's arm.

"Yeah, but she didn't know that we were having fun, did she?" Hermione asked reasonably, and Katie sighed again, louder.

"That's not the point, Hermione. The point is we didn't get to finish what we started." She replied with exasperation, a pout gracing her mouth.

"Come on, turn that frown upside down." Hermione grinned, tugging on a strand of Katie's hair, laughing as the second year swatted her hand. Swinging out of the bed legs first, she stood and grabbed Katie's hand, tugging her prone form after her. "We can do more with this later, now come on. You have to be hungry after all that. I know I am."

"I could stand to eat something, I guess." Katie said, affecting an indifferent air that was thoroughly ruined when her stomach rumbled loudly. Hermione held her free hand over her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle her giggles as Katie blushed lightly.

"Good, we can finish our letter to Harry later… although I have absolutely no idea how we can get it to him." Hermione said as they walked out of the room.

The two girls headed down the stairs and into the large and well-equipped kitchen that was filled with sunlight that streamed through the large bay windows, beyond which was a fairly large garden with a modest sized pool embedded in a patioed section and varied flower beds around the edge. A wooden panel fence surrounded the garden and a large apple tree stood barely in view off to the right in the corner, a few small birds flitting from its branches to the numerous birdfeeders that hung from it. It was, in short, the stereo-typical upper-middle class family home in the suburbs.

"So, what have you girls been up to all morning?" Emma asked as they sat down at the island and started to eat.

"We were just working on writing a letter to Harry." Katie replied for the both of them since Hermione's mouth was full and her own was not. "We aren't quite sure how we are going to be able to get it to him though."

"Can't you just send it to him with magic or something like that?" Emma asked, curious to learn more about her daughters' new world and how it worked.

"Sort of Mum. We can send letters via owls, or we can call each other with the fireplace, but that's really it, and since neither Katie nor I have an owl, and we have no idea where he is, neither of those options are available to use at the moment." Hermione replied, sounding proud in her knowledge of her new world, something that did not go unnoticed by Katie or Emma.

"Call each other with the fire place?" Emma blinked. What an odd notion! "How?"

"It's called Flooing someone, Mrs. Granger. You use a special type of powder, called Floo powder, which you throw into the fireplace. You can then stick your head into the fire, and…"

"Stick your head in the fire? That sounds rather dangerous." Emma gasped taken aback. She knew her daughter's gift was a strange but amazing thing, and that her world would no doubt be equally odd, but really!

"It's not at all dangerous, Mrs. Granger!" Katie assured her quickly. Emma relaxed slightly, appearing somewhat mollified but still apprehensive, and Katie continued. "The powder turns the fire into a harmless magical conduit for whatever you put through it. An arm, a head, or you can even send your entire body through to another place."

"Oh, well that's all right then. It sounds rather useful to me, actually." Emma said thoughtfully, sitting back once more. Taking a glance at the kitchen clock, she sighed and stood. "It's time for me to head into the practice and take over for your father, so he should be home in an hour or so. If I have him run errands before he comes here I suspect it will be closer to two hours."

"Okay mum, take care!" Hermione hugged her mother, who grabbed her purse before heading out the door. Backing her car out of driveway she drove off, smiling all the while. It did her heart good to see her daughter so cheerful and relaxed. Hermione, God bless her, had always been extremely bright. Unfortunately, it was that very brightness that tended to drive other children away from her, preventing her from having many friends. Now, she had two very good ones, and hopefully even more.

Hermione watched her mother drive away with a smile before gathering the plates and carrying them to the dishwasher, before heading upstairs with Katie again. When they walked into her room, discussing how to send their letter to Harry, they were extremely shocked to see a midnight-black owl perched on the back of Hermione's desk chair, watching them with eyes the color of agate. The two girls stopped dead in the door and stared at the owl, which stared back at them with something that appeared unsettlingly like intelligence in its eyes.

"She isn't yours, is she Katie?" Hermione asked, knowing full well that it was not in fact her friend's owl.

"No, and I know it's not yours… could it be Harry's?" Katie said nervously, for as she spoke those eyes changed their intense focus onto her from Hermione. She felt almost as if they were piercing through here, staring deep into her very soul, and then the feeling vanished, and the owl gave a happy-sounding chirp and held out her leg, on which a letter was visible. Glancing at one another, Katie and Hermione tentatively walked forward and Katie untied the letter and opened it.

"Its from Harry!" she cried happily, and Hermione sat her down on the bed so that they could read it together.

' _Dear Hermione and, I assume, Katie,_

 _Well, I have to guess that you are together and over at Hermione's house. The first because you would definitely be spending time with each other over the summer and the second because Hermione would certainly demand that you did so over at her house, so that Katie's family wouldn't have to trouble themselves with having company. I also suspect that Katie attempted to protest it wasn't fair to Hermione or her family but was steam-rolled by Hermione's stubbornness.'_ Here Katie began to laugh loudly while Hermione blushed furiously, since Harry had been dead-on in his guess. ' _I hope that you two are well, and enjoying your summer, although I expect that Hermione insisted on finishing all of your homework as well, despite your protests Katie.'_ Again, Katie laughed while Hermione's still present blush deepened. ' _Now, before Hermione gets the idea that I am getting too harsh on her, I'll suggest to her that the perfect way to get back at Katie laughing is to force Katie to look over next year's material or even have her help you with second year material.'_ Katie stopped laughing instantly and looked at the letter in something akin to betrayed horror while Hermione grinned what some people might have uncharitably called an evil smirk. ' _Anyway, I'm doing well here, although I am not sure exactly where here is. Somewhere in the forests north of Rome, at any rate. Sirius and I were in Greece recently, until we caught a boat from Athens directly to Rome. An amazing place, Rome. Anyway, the amazing and beautiful being that brought this letter to you is named Umbra. I found her in the north of Macedonia, in an old and hidden valley that Sirius and I found. She is extremely smart, and will be able to bring any letters back to me, no matter where I am. Sirius and I expect to be home in England soon enough, and I thought that perhaps I might come and visit you in Surrey? Regardless, I, and a companion and dear friend of mine, shall be seeing you at Hogwarts next year. Remember, don't mention the Fifth House to anyone, and say nothing of what you saw there either. It would be best if that information remain low-key for the time being._

_With lots of love,_

_Harry_

_P.S. Please make sure that Umbra can get some food and water before she leaves. It's a bit of a long haul to get over here from England, I expect.'_

Hermione put the letter down on her desk and tentatively held out a hand to Umbra, who looked at her for a moment before pushing her head up against it. Hermione took that as permission and started stroking the owl's head, while Katie grabbed the letter that they had been working on.

"Katie, I'm going to go get some food and water for her, okay?" Hermione said, getting up and walking to the door. However, just as she was about to exit the room, Umbra gave an oddly musical trill.

"She only needs water, she's going to hunt on the way back to Harry." Katie commented absently as she scribbled another line onto the parchment.

"I know." Hermione called back as she headed down the stairs. Neither girl noticed that they had been able to discern meaning from the trill of the owl that was now settling herself comfortably on the desk. Umbra looked around before fluffing her feathers and giving what looked suspiciously like a pleased sigh as she waited for the letter to be finished.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the forests north of Rome, Harry was busy running. Ducking and weaving through the trees, he evaded the barrage of spells hurtling his way before sending several hexes of his own back at his assailant. He skidded to a top behind an ancient and massive oak tree, chest heaving as he gasped for breath, wand tight in his right hand while he held his left over the small burn on the lower right side of his ribcage. Grimacing, he lifted part of it to look down at the wound.

"That's not too bad, but it's slowing me down…" He muttered, before poking his wand at it. " _Mulcere Ardeat."_ He grimaced again, this time at the cool sensation and the stretching feeling as the burn healed and new skin grew over it. Winded from casting the difficult spell (Minor healing though it may be, he was only 12 after all!), he took a deep breath before charging out of cover again. Before he could cast more than a single Jelly-Legs Jinx, he was Disarmed, bound in ropes, and Silenced. Lying on his back, struggling against his binds, he glared at his captor who leered down at him.

"You're dead, Harry Potter…" with that pronouncement, his captor's wand slashed through the air.

Clambering back to his feet as the ropes vanished, Harry held out his hand, and a laughing Sirius Black placed his wand back in his hand. Still glowering, Harry waved it to dispel the Silencing Charm.

"You really have a flair for the dramatic, don't you Pads?" Remus Lupin said from where he was leaning with his back to another tree, having watched Sirius and Harry's mock duel.

"Ah, I'm sorry Moony, but it can't be helped. I was just trying to make a point!" Sirius replied with an exaggerated pout. Remus just rolled his eyes and stood before joining the pair of them in the center of the forest clearing that the three of them had camped out in for the last three days.

"Now, cub, tell us what did you do wrong and we will tell you what you did right." He continued, tone growing stern, and Harry automatically stood straighter.

"I only sent weak, annoyance-type hexes, such as the Jelly-Legs, at Sirius. Furthermore, I spent too much time running instead of taking advantage of cover and attacking from behind it. I tired myself out to quickly." He answered, and the two adults nodded in satisfaction.

"Good pup, you caught it. Now, you did a minor burn-healing spell, which was good because its placement made heavy breathing, such as that which comes from running, much harder. Also, you didn't use a single shielding charm at any point. Now, being athletic is good, because the average Death Eater, being a Pureblood, does not spend a great deal of time running unless they can avoid it. However, what do Moony and I always say?" Sirius said, and Harry rolled his eyes slightly.

"A tired Body is tired Magic, and tired Magic is a tired Body." Harry recited blandly.

"Good, now stop being a wimp and start beating me already." Sirius grinned while Remus chuckled. "Honestly, Remus and I are a few decades older than you. You should be cleaning our clocks."

"Oh, shut up. I am not an Auror, as the pair of you were, nor am I a veteran." Harry growled, casting an Aguamenti charm and drinking from the gentle stream of water that poured from the wand.

"True enough, Prongslet, but that really isn't the point. Voldemort is still out there, and I recall you mentioning something about him saying that he would kill you?" Sirius replied, raising an eyebrow, and Harry sighed.

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry about it Sirius, Remus. I'll keep training, complaining the whole time, and I'll be fine." Harry said, smiling at his Godfather and pseudo-Uncle. They were right, after all. Voldemort was still out there somewhere, and had a score to settle. Besides, if Harry was totally honest with himself, he had a score to settle as well. Two, as a matter of fact. One was named Lily and the other was named James. Sirius had wisely warned him not to live his life purely for the sake of bloody-minded retribution. Such a life, he warned, would be hollow and empty, devoid of love. In the end, when his vengeance was delivered, his life would no longer have a purpose behind it.

"Good, alright, now remember what I told you. Dumbledore said about the new Defense teacher. You're going to be on your own for the most part this year." Sirius said after a moment.

"Yeah, Gilderoy Lockhart, resident Fraud and Moron." Harry scoffed with another eye-roll. He and Sirius had seen the man from a distance in Diagon Alley once, and Harry had instantly felt contempt for the fop. Besides, he had read the idiot's books, and he could tell immediately that the man hadn't actually done anything he said he had. Sirius had nothing but contempt for the man, and said that he had been a liar and a cheat during school.

"Ah well, you know how I feel about that whole situation. I'm trying to get permission to hold a "Dueling Club" with Remus, which would in reality be Defense Against the Dark Arts. Now, we need to talk about the whole situation with the recently re-established Fifth House. Only my family, Remus, the Headmaster, you and the girls know about it. You told Hermione and Katie not to mention it to anyone, right?" Sirius continued, and Harry nodded

"Yeah, in the letter I sent them. What's the plan, Pads?" he replied, and Sirius and Remus gave identical grins.

"A true Marauder prank, naturally. Now, supposedly I am supposed to be the Head of House, which is more or less going to be ceremonial. In reality, you are the one who has ultimate power both in the House and in Hogwarts in general. Dumbledore didn't think I should mention this, but if you wanted you could take control of the school from him in an instant. Moreover, while Remus and I have gotten over our mutual hatred with Severus, I can guarantee you he will be horrible to you. So, always remember that as the true Head of Emryys, you can counter any legitimately unfair taking of points and detention. Of course," Here he leveled a very stern look at Harry. "I expect you to be even handed and not abuse this in return. If there are too many discrepancies, we might have to talk to Hogwarts about removing that from you."

"Thanks for the trust…" Harry muttered, before changing the subject. "When are we heading home, anyway? I want to see Hermione and Katie, not to mention Ashe."

"In, oh, 70 seconds or so." Sirius said casually, looking at his watch. "It's been arranged."

"Here, Harry, hold onto this." Remus said, holding out a coffee mug after digging around in his bag for a minute. All three placed a finger on it, holding their bags tight.

"5… 4… 3… 2… 1… activate!" Sirius said, and on the last word Harry felt the familiar pull behind his navel as he was pulled into the swirling abyss of Portkey travel.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **


	8. Grimmauld and Greengrass

CHECK OUT MY FACEBOOK PAGE AND TWITTER! BOTH ARE ON MY PROFILE HERE!

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgment

Chapter 8

Grimmauld and Greengrass

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry, Remus, and Sirius landed heavily in the entry way to the Black family's home in London, where he had lived for the past decade. Harry bent his knees to absorb the impact, but Sirius landed badly, stumbling into Remus and sending both of them crashing into the coat stand, which then fell into the umbrella stand, both stands spilling their contents all over the floor. Both Sirius and Remus just lay there on the floor groaning, and they were still lying there when Marlene came out of the kitchen, put her hands on her hips, and raised an eyebrow forebodingly.

"What possessed you to destroy the entryway to our home, Sirius? You do realize that it's evening, don't you?" she asked as Sirius and Remus started to untangle themselves and climb to their feet. Harry watched with a smirk as Sirius stammered and attempted to talk his way out his wife's ire. What his Godfather had failed to notice was the sparkle in Marlene's eyes or the small smile lurking at the corners of her mouth.

"Mom, what was all the noise down here? I…HARRY! You're back!" a slightly smaller, red haired and black eyed missile slammed into him, rocking him back slightly before he steadied himself.

"Hey Ashe." He said softly, wrapping his arms around Ashelia Marlene Lillian Black and hugging her tight. He had always been very close with her, and both were looking forward to going to Hogwarts together. "How have you been?"

"Good, but I'm much happier now that you're here!" she chirped, voice slightly muffled due to the fact that her face was still buried in the front of his shirt. "I've been practicing my Keeping too! Astoria has been helping me, she likes Chasing!"

"Astoria?" Harry asked, curious. He knew all of Ashe's grade school friends, despite being away with Sirius often enough, but he didn't recognize the name.

"Yeah, Astoria Greengrass! She's my age, and we met in the park almost a month ago! We hang out all the time!" Ashe continued, pulling back a little so that she could look up at him, but leaving her arms around him. Harry saw the bright gleam of pleasure and excitement in her eyes and grinned.

"Good. I'm glad that you're getting more friends from the magical world to balance out, especially with your father and I traveling all over the world." Harry said firmly, and Ashe rolled her eyes a little.

"I don't need more friends in the magical world to be happy, Harry. I've got you, and I'll get to meet Hermione and Katie at school. Now that I have Tori, I don't need anyone else!" she sounded annoyed at the idea of his worrying over her feeling lonely, and he grinned. He knew she was fine, but he had to say it anyway.

"You can never have too many friends Ashe." He replied, and she rolled her eyes even harder before dragging him towards the stairs. "Come on, you have to meet Tori, and Lukan missed you too."

"What, no 'Hello Dad, nice to see you! Love you!' or a hug, or anything?" Sirius asked his departing daughter, sounding a little sad that she hadn't even acknowledged him. Ashe winced guiltily and dropped Harry's hand before dashing back and hugging her father tightly.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She mumbled into his shoulder, and he smiled tenderly as he held his daughter close. He knew how excited she was to see Harry. The two had always been incredibly close, so close that he and Marlene had filed a tentative betrothal contract for the pair of them. They had naturally decided to keep their eyes on the situation in case anything changed so that they could remove it. They had, however, heard some interesting rumors from Sirius' fellow Aurors that some Unspeakables had been talking amongst themselves about a "Book of Bonds" or some such thing, and that "the young Potter heir would live a life many men would simultaneously envy and pity him for." He was brought out of his memory as his daughter kissed his cheek and pulled away. She smiled at him again before dashing back up the stairs, grabbing Harry's hand as she went.

"It looks like our guess was right, Siri…" Marlene murmured to her husband, before heading back into the kitchen. Remus and Sirius looked at each other for a moment in silent agreement before following.

"It's still amazing to me how close those two are, it's nothing short of… well, I would say magical, but…" Remus' voice trailed off, but his two friends understood what he meant.

"I know what you mean, Mooney." Sirius sighed, sitting heavily and shaking his head slightly. "Honestly, it's as if they hadn't seen each other in months or years instead of just weeks."

"She cries, sometimes, at night when he isn't here. I don't think she knows I do, and Lukan never mentioned it, but I do. She will even cry in her sleep and mumble his name to herself. It's even worse than the time that Lukan was in France for a month."

"Worse than being separated from the other half of a twin bond?" Sirius murmured, looking worried and confused. " I don't see how that is possible, unless… nah."

"What is it, Padfoot?" Mooney asked, curious. He was also quite curious about his surrogate nephew's relationship with Ashe, and certainly wanted to know more.

"Old Livingston down in the Department of Mysteries mentioned something that's been sticking with me ever since I saw Harry with Hermione and Katie." Sirius said slowly, as though unsure of speaking out. He looked around at his old friend and his wife. "He said something about Harry being bound to many, and that their strength would see him through the trials he had to face. He said that the strength of their souls would one day save him from a terrible fate. I thought he was nuts at the time, but now…"

"A Soul Bond?" Marlene asked, and he nodded slowly, causing her to bark out a laugh. "Sirius, even if they existed, which I am sure that they don't, there has never been multiple people bound to a single Catalyst before!"

"True Mar, but then again Harry has done the impossible many times." Remus pointed out with a speculative look on his face. When she turned on him, eyebrow raised, he shrugged and continued. "He has survived the Killing Curse once already, and has faced Voldemort again since then."

"That's not the point Remus! There is a huge difference between whatever obscure magic L-lily used to save Harry," Marlene chocked slightly on the name of her murdered best friend "…and the obscure magic of bonding!"

"Not quite, Marlene." Sirius spoke up, and his tone had turned very serious indeed. Remus and Marlene instantly focused on him and paid close attention. This wasn't the Marauder Padfoot talking anymore; this was Senior Auror Captain Sirius Orion Black, holder of the Order of Merlin, First Class, one of the top five Aurors in the force, who was talking now. "I have some old friends in the DOM, and they have been keeping an eye on Harry for me. Soul Bonds are very real, and at this time Harry has at least three with one more almost there."

"How? Multiple soul bond?" Marlene said almost plaintively, and Sirius grinned.

"Magic, love, Magic." He said cheekily, then yelped when she smacked him on the head with her hand. Rubbing it with a very exaggerated pout on his face, he continued. "The more powerful a wizard is, the more witches will be bound to him, because his magic will call to theirs as a way to stabilize itself."

"What do you mean, stabilize itself?" Remus asked, the curious and studious Prefect coming to the fore again, and Sirius looked rather grim quickly.

"I mean, that if Harry doesn't start to follow the call of his magic, and begin to bond with these women in some form, even if it only starts as friendship, then his magic will literally tear him apart as it grows out of control." He answered bluntly.

The kitchen was filled with a grim and heavy silence as the adult's thought about what had been discussed, before forcing themselves onto a more lighthearted topic, aware that the children could overhear.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

A half an hour later, Harry was busy regaling the three younger kids with the latest amusing exploits of himself and Sirius on their latest trip. "…And then he says, to this vampiress you understand, 'Oh, I'm sorry, I just wanted a quick bite.' Of course, being a vampire she thought he was another who was flirting with her and said he could bite her anywhere he liked as long as she got a taste later, flashing those fangs at him in this sexy grin. God, I've never seen him move so fast. He was out the door and halfway down the street before I even knew what had happened. Left me to pay and apologize to the woman and her daughter." Lukan and Ashe rolled around on the floor, tears streaming from their eyes at the stupidity of their father's word choice while Astoria seemed to be trying to decide whether she should join them or start running herself.

"Astoria, Ashe, Lukan! Lady Greengrass is here!" they heard Marlene yell up the stairs, and the twins struggled upright, eyes still damp with mirth as they hiccupped, trying to get themselves under control. Eyeing her friends and noting their inability to respond in their current state, Astoria hollered back:

"Thank you, Mrs. Black! Be right there!"

"Hey! Maybe you can stay over, Tori!" Ashe suggested excitedly, before looking at Harry. "Help me up!"

Harry stood with a groan and pulled Ashe to her feet as Astoria did the same for Lukan. The three younger kids quite nearly stampeded down the stairs, intent on acquiring adult permission for a sleepover, while Harry followed at a much more sedate pace. A slight whispering in the back of his mind brought a broad grin onto his face as he reached the bottom of the stairs and turned into the living room. The grin fell of his face however and morphed into an expression of great surprise.

 _My God, she is beautiful._  Was his first thought as he openly stared at the auburn haired and bright blue-eyed girl who was standing beside an older woman he had to assume was Lady Greengrass.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Daphne Greengrass blushed to herself as she entered the Black home through the Floo. She couldn't believe she was in the same building as some of the greats! Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, two of the greatest warriors of the light in the last war! And Harry Potter lived here to boot! Daphne had never bought into all that nonsense about the Boy-Who-Lived, nor had she put any credence into the fantastic tales people told about the night his parents died. Her mother, she knew, had been very close friends with Lady Potter at school, despite being in rival houses, and was adamant about the fact that no one except Harry, the Dark Lord, and Lord and Lady Potter had been there, and since three out of the four people were dead before the night was done and the other was barely over a year old, none of those stories could be anything more than ridiculous conjecture and gossip mongering.

Daphne had of course also heard the rumors about the end of the school year last year, and had hoped to catch a glimpse of Harry one of the times that he visited, and maybe even speak to him (she blushed even harder at the thought) but all she had been able to do was, along with her best friend Tracey Davis, catch a glimpse of him as he sat at the High Table and chatted easily with the staff. She didn't know how much she believed about what people said about the end of the year incident on the Seventh Floor, and the majority of the portraits (normally more than willing to share gossip and tell stories. Not like they had much else to do!) were remarkably tight-lipped about it, even those who lived in the very hallway the incident was said to have taken place.

"Ariala, as I live and breath! Damn good to see you again!" a loud voice said from the doorway, and Daphne looked over to see a tall, broad shouldered man with shaggy black hair and brown eyes sweep into the room and hug her mother tightly. To Daphne's immense shock, the man proceeded to LIFT HER MOTHER OFF THE FLOOR AND SPIN HER AROUND! She was in shock! How improper to treat a noblewoman like that! All of the etiquette books she had been told to read by the upper classman in Slytherin had said such things were never to happen!

"Sirius Black, you scoundrel! Put me down this instant!" Her mother barked, but she could hear the laughter that bubble beneath the surface.

"Oh come on, Ari! You used to love that!" the man - Lord Black - exclaimed, although he did set her back on her feet as instructed.

"Yes, of course I did you prat!" her mother said sternly. Daphne twitched in surprise. Her prim and proper mother had encouraged such behavior? "That was in our 5th, 6th, and 7th year though!"

"Yes, but the thing is Ari, Sirius never grew up, so he thinks that we are still at school." Lady Black commented dryly, coming into the room along with another man with light brown hair and black eyes that Daphne had to assume was Remus Lupin, based off of what she had read. Smiling at her, Lady Black continued. "It's very nice to see you again Daphne, how are you?"

"Very well, My Lady, thank you for asking." Daphne said nervously, curtsying. Marlene sighed and shook her head.

"Look Daphne, neither Sirius nor I like to be addressed by our titles amongst friends in private. Call us by our given names, and if you can't handle that, Mr. and Mrs. Black." She said in a gently chastising tone. When Daphne nodded, albeit very reluctantly, Marlene turned to the stairs.

" Astoria, Ashe, Lukan! Lady Greengrass is here!" she called up the stairs.

"Thank you, Mrs. Black! Be right there!" Daphne heard her younger sister Astoria shout back before the sound of feet echoed loudly overhead and then down the stairs. Astoria, Ashe, and Lukan came rushing into the room and very nearly skidded to a halt. Behind them came a tall, tanned and fairly muscular boy with unruly and spiky black hair and bright green eyes. He was without a doubt the most amazing looking boy that she had ever seen. Their eyes locked for a moment before she blushed and looked down at her feet. After a moment, she peaked up through her bangs to see him staring at her in amazement still.

"Harry, this is Lady Ariala Greengrass, an old friend of ours and your parents, and this is her older daughter Daphne, who will be a classmate of yours this coming school year." Sirius said after a moment with a faint smirk. It was amusing to see his Godson so completely caught off guard, something that rarely happened. He did also notice, however, the faint frown on his daughter's face and sighed mentally. She would have to get used to this kind of thing if she wanted to pursue a relationship with Harry, if what his friends in the DOM had hinted at was true. Besides, Harry was going to be faced with a lot of attention and focus at Hogwarts, much of it from girls.

"Mom, can I stay over tonight, please?" Astoria begged, throwing on her best puppy dog begging face, which broke the awkward silence that had spread through the room at Harry's and Daphne's reactions to each other, and Daphne rolled her eyes at Harry with a smile, which he returned a little shyly.

"Only if it's okay with Lady Black." Ariala replied, smiling fondly at her youngest daughter. Ashe and Astoria immediately turned to Marlene with the same begging expression, and she laughed.

"Alright, alright. Just get your begging butts back upstairs and to whatever you kids were doing." She said with a broad smile, and the three younger kids whooped together, hugged their respective parent, and stampeded back up the stairs.

"How about a drink Ari?" Marlene continued after a moment, heading towards the kitchen once more.

"I would love one Marly." Ariala smiled, following her with Remus. Sirius started to follow, then turned back to the two Second Years.

"Why don't you guys hang out, get to know each other?" He suggested, grinning at Harry as he did so. "You will be classmates next year, you might as well know each other before then. Who knows, you might become great friends!" With that, he exited the living room, leaving the two teens to stare awkwardly at each other in silence. Daphne was just gathering herself to speak when Harry's head snapped around to stare at the living room window before he stepped away from her, waving his wand at the window while he did. Daphne frowned, feeling slightly snubbed and privately wondering why the idea of Harry not liking her bothered her so much, but Harry seemed to sense her unease and flashed her a grin with a roguish wink that caused her to giggle in return. Facing the window again, Harry held up his arm and called something out in a language that sounded ancient, although Daphne had no idea what language it might be.

"Famlusa rusa, so mujamo Cysyny!" Confused, Daphne looked at the window to see what he was looking at or talking too, but saw nothing. She was about to turn to Harry and ask him what was going on when a large black shape hurtled out of the sky and through the window, flaring it's wings sharply to land with grace and care on Harry's upraised arm. It was an owl of some sort, Daphne could tell that much, but she hadn't even the slightest clue as to what breed it was. She had never seen anything like it before, not even at Hogwarts!

"Here Daphne, come say hello." Harry said, holding out a hand to her in a 'Come here' motion.

Feeling slightly apprehensive, Daphne slowly reached out and took his hand, allowing him to tug her over to his side. The owl watch her every movement with its eyes. It was the eyes that made her recoil slightly. They were bright and shining silver, with little flecks of green scattered about inside of them. Those eyes locked onto hers and she felt as if her soul itself was being scanned, examined, judged even. She shuddered at the feeling, but almost immediately felt a great warmth wash through her, a warmth that made her feel safe and, strangely, as though she had been  _accepted_  by something.

"This amazing being is called Umbra, now, and she has been my companion since the beginning of the summer, when I met her in Macedonia." Harry explained, and Daphne giggled as the owl fluttered its wings and ran its beak affectionately through his hair at his compliment.

"Nice, to meet you, Umbra." She said with a smile, and the owl gave an odd bark before hoping onto Harry's shoulder and bobbing her head in a slight bow in Daphne's direction. She barked again, and whacked Harry over the back of the head with one wing, putting Daphne into a wide-eyed silence. That was something you don't see every day!

"I'm sorry Daphne, I have yet to properly introduce myself." Harry said, rubbing the back of his head and smiling sheepishly at her. "Harry Potter, at your service."

"Daphne Greengrass, at yours." Daphne replied, extending her hand to be shaken. Instead, Harry did something that brought a furious blush to her cheeks. Taking her hand in his own, he bowed low and kissed it lightly with all the flair of the best of courtiers. Umbra barked again, and Harry grinned at Daphne.

"So, tell me about yourself, Daphne! I think we shall get along very well, you and I!" Harry said, leading her over to a loveseat and tugging her down beside him.

"Well, I am in Slytherin House, and…." Daphne started to explain to this strange yet endearing, messy-haired boy about herself, her friends, her love for Quidditch and her passion for Potions. She told several amusing stories about her friend Tracey, and all the times they had nearly gotten in trouble for this or that but managed to get out of it. She never noticed Harry make an odd gesture with is right index figure, a small circle in the air, and Umbra silently lifting off and heading out the window again.

At the same time that Harry kissed Dahne's hand, several things happened across the country. Deep inside the Department of Mysteries, and ancient red tome opened of its own accord to a blank page. Gold and silver writing and lines linked themselves to one name, a name that had any staff member seen the book, would have had the media banging on his door. In Surrey, Hermione and Katie moaned in their sleep and moved closer together in Hermione's bed as a wave of warmth washed over them and sank into their dreams. For the rest of the night, they dreamed of a boy with green eyes and messy black hair, a tall beautiful redhead, and a presence that they felt envelop them in its embrace. The presence whispered to them as they slept.

"And so the Hand shall be formed, and the Val'kyr shall rise. I am the first. I am Samara. You will know me."

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Nimue and the portraits of the Founders watched with interest as Harry and Daphne traded stories back and forth about their various youthful escapades for a time, before Harry asked her if she wanted to stay the night, and perhaps hang out the next day as well. Myyrdin glanced at Nimue at this point, and saw that she looked close to tears as Harry hugged the girl goodnight and went into his room. As the image faded, he turned to look over at her.

"What is wrong, my dear? Is Daphne someone we should warn Harry away from."

"NO, no, nothing's wrong." Nimue muttered, sounding depressed. "After all, she's smart, and pretty, and a red-head, and rich, and…" her voice trailed of and got so quiet that he almost missed the next words she spoke. "and she's human."

"I see… I think that you don't need to…" he started, trying to decide how to best comfort her, when an unknown voice interrupted.

"Fear not, Nimue. Harry shall always have a place in his heart for you, a very deep place." The rooms' occupants all looked quickly at the door in shock and say a beautiful young woman standing there. Long locks of what looked like hair of pure gold hung down to her waist, and her smiling silver eyes blazed in the relative darkness of the room, the green flecks in them standing out like beacons. She was wearing tight leather armor and had a pair of curved short swords strapped to her back and what looked like guns on her hips.

"Who are you? How did you get in here without my sensing it." Nimue hissed, flexing the wards around the castle and testing the more active defenses readiness. "It shouldn't be possible!"

"Calm, Nimue, calm." The woman held up her hands in a placating gesture. "My name is Samara, and I am here for a mutual friend, someone we both care for very much."

"Harry? You know Harry?" Nimue gasped, instantly relaxing and staring. She had known instantly who the person she spoke of was.

"Yes, being bound to my Master allows me to pass freely through the wards." The woman replied, shrugging shapely shoulders nonchalantly.

"Your master?" Nimue frowned, looking t her. Their eyes met and Nimue's brow furrowed in thought before her eyes widened almost comically. "The owl! You're Umbra, aren't you! I recognize your eyes from the images!"

"Correct. What no one except Harry, myself, and now you all is that I am not human. Nor am I an owl, or a shape-shifter, although I have the abilities of one. No, I am a Val'kyr, and Harry saved me in Macedonia."

"Please forgive me, My Lady." Myyrdin bowed low to her. "But what could Harry be able to save you from that the power of a Val'kyr could not?"

"My family." Came the simple reply. "I was going to be slain for being bound to a human, and had I perished, they would have hunted him down and slain him as well. I called to him through are magic as I fled, totally by accident, and he came. While his Godfather and Uncle slept, he found me and took me away from them, to safety."

"They were going to kill you?" Nimue looked sick, but Samara simply nodded, devoid of any emotion whatsoever accept serenity.

"What did you mean, I hold a special place in Harry's heart?" Nimue said suddenly, remembering what she had said earlier.

"Simple. You, too, are destined to be bound to my Master, and you too shall be his Hand, and help him save the innocent and punish the guilty." Samara replied calmly, as thought they were discussing the weather. "He loves you as he does me."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Nimue cried, angry and hurt at the same time. "All I am is the soul of an ancient castle that has delusions of grandeur! I'm not human, I can never be with him!"

"Wrong, you can be with him. It won't be an easy task, but he can free you from this place, and you may adopt any form that you wish, and remain alongside our family until the end of time." Samara shook her head and smiled gently at Nimue.

"How?" Nimue asked, her voice on the verge of pleading. This couldn't be a joke! That would be too cruel, but how could it possibly be true?"

"Magic." Samara winked at her, and laughed and her angry huff. "That is all I can tell you now. My Master wishes to talk to you himself. But no one else, not his guardians nor the staff here may know of anything I have told you or am about to tell you."

"Of course not, I would ever betray Harry's trust like that!" Nimue frowned at the implication that she would.

"Good." Samara took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was going to say. "Our family will be large. The Master has great magical power, and will require a large family to keep him safe."

"What do you mean?" Nimue asked, getting a pronounced feeling of dread.

"I mean he is destined to have the love and attention of several witches at once. Our fellow bond mates, our sisters." Samara said bluntly, and Nimue gasped again before starting to cry. It was just too much! She was on an emotional roller coaster right now, and right now she was at the bottom.

"Shh, sister." Samara's voice said in her ear as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and her face was tucked into a soft and sympathetic shoulder. "It's not all that bad."

"Not that bad?" Nimue bawled into Samara's shoulder. "I love him, and I don't want to share him! How many do I have to share him with?"

"Erm…" Samara hesitated, feeling slightly uncomfortable for the first time in a very long time. "Well, counting the three tentative bonds, which of course might not happen, and the girls whom he will have to win over, and…"

"How. Many. Girls?" Nimue growled, even more fearful of the answer thanks to Samara's attempted avoidance of the answer.

"Including you and me… thirteen." Samara said the last word quietly and tensed for the explosion she knew was coming. After all, she had been less than pleased herself when she had felt the echoes in Harry's soul! She was not disappointed.

"TWELVE OTHER PEOPLE!" Nimue howled, unaware of the fact that by this point all five of the Founders had discreetly fled from the room to other portraits. "I WAS HERE FIRST!"

"I know, sister, but Harry is meant for them as he is for us, and we want him to be happy right?" Samara said soothingly, rubbing the other girls back. She had to remind herself that it was only in the last couple of years that Nimue had really started to become more human, and really had no idea how to handle this kind of thing. Not that she was too sure how to either. Her reaction had been much the same.

"AFTER A THOUSAND YEARS OF WAITING, SILENTLY ALONE, TRAPPED BY STONE AND NO ONE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT I EVEN EXISTED, I FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE WHO I CAN BE WITH AND MAKE ME HAPPY, BUT I DON'T EVEN GET HIM TO MYSELF! I HAVE TO SHARE WITH TWELVE OTHER WOMEN!" Nimue finished her rant before breaking out into tears again and burying her face into Samara's shoulder again.

"I know, sister, I didn't like it either." Samara said soothingly. "But we shall become a family, we will move past our selfishness and possessiveness to find harmony. I have seen it."

"Who?" Nimue whispered quietly. "Who else do we have to share with?"

"Besides me?" Samara asked, and upon feeling the nod against her shoulder she took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "Well… the Patil twins, Hermione Granger, Katie Bell, Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, Fleur Delacour, Ashe Black, and Susan Bones. Nymphadora Tonks is going to join us as well, and one girl who I cannot see no matter how hard I look. She is… beyond my sight."

"Well, I know most of those girls, and I suppose if I was to pick anyone else than I would have picked them." Nimue muttered, stepping away from Samara and composing herself. "So, now what?"

"Most likely, nothing until next school year." Samara replied, looking towards to door longingly. "I need to get back to Harry."

Nimue saw the look and heard the very slight, almost imperceptible stress on the word 'need' and smiled a little bitterly. She knew the feeling, but there was nothing she could do about it right now.

"Go on then. Make sure to give him a hug and a kiss for me." She said, pointing to the door commandingly. "My questions and such can wait for another time."

"Thank you, Nimue." Samara said happily, hugging her tight before racing down the passageway. Halfway down it, she shimmered into the air and vanished.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Back at the Black home, the air shimmered briefly and Samara reappeared in Harry's bedroom. She gazed fondly at the black-haired form sprawled across the bed and her eyes shimmered again. Small green sparks zipped out of her eyes and danced around her body in a whirlwind. When they faded, her leather armor and weapons were gone, replaced instead by a baggy T-shirt and tight shorts.

"Samara, is that you, love?" Harry mumble sleepily from the bed, and she blushed brightly with a smile at his words.

"Yes Master, I am back. Nimue knows what we agreed on telling her. She was displeased at first but seemed to come around to the idea." She replied quietly, aware of the fact that the house was not empty.

"Don't call me Master." Harry's voice said, firm despite his grogginess. "I'm glad that she is at least accepting of the matter. Now get over here and join me."

"But, Master, I shouldn't…" she started to protest, but Harry was having none of it.

"I am not your Master, love. I am your boyfriend, your soul mate, and eventually your husband. Never your Master. Now come here. And lock the door, please."

Smiling happily to herself, despite a heavy blush, Samara waved her hand at the door, and padded over quietly until she stood beside Harry's bed. Sitting on the edge, she hesitated. Unsure of what to do, she was debating whether she should curl up at the foot of the bed when she felt her Master's arm snake around her and pull her into the bed with him. She was debating protest when he pulled the cover back over them both, tugged her closer, and gave her a warm kiss that left her slightly breathless.

"No more arguing, Samara. You belong here with me, by my side, until you decide to leave." Harry said firmly, turning her slightly so that her back was spooned against his front.

"I will never leave you, Harry." She felt a slight thrill at saying his name, and he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her even closer against him.

"Good, and I will never send you away. Goodnight love." He said softly in her ear.

"Goodnight, Harry. I love you." She whispered, whether to herself or too him she wasn't sure.

"And I love you. Other boys my age might not understand or be interested in girls yet but you opened my eyes." Harry replied anyway. "I know what love is, and I know hat I feel for you and the others I know, and for those I will meet."

Together the pair drifted off to sleep, still wrapped holding each other, still smiling, still feeling the love flowing from the other.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Alright, it's a wrap. See you guys next time, and don't forget to review!


	9. Surrey Surreality

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgment

Chapter Nine

Surrey Surreality

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Daphne Greengrass woke slowly to morning light and the sound of birds streaming in through the open windows, bleary eyes trying to decipher her unfamiliar surroundings as her sleep-clogged mind started to try and remember where exactly she was and what she was doing here. Closing her eyes and rubbing the sleep out of them, she thought hard. She didn't feel alarmed, but really rather safe, so she wasn't someplace bad, that much she new, but where…. Her hands dropped and her eyes snapped open in shock. Harry Bloody Potter's! She had been invited by HARRY POTTER to sleep over! Giving an undignified 'Squeee!' as her (very small) inner fangirl came out briefly, she grabbed her pillow and squeezed it to her chest. She couldn't help it. Ever since she had seen him last year, she had been fascinated. He seemed equal parts quiet recluse and relaxed joker. Certainly not the arrogant, pampered rich boy her Head of House had made him out to be. No, from what she had seen he was athletic and well muscled for someone as young as they were. She supposed that made sense, since according to the  _Daily Prophet_  he had spent the better part of six years traveling the world and learning magic with his Godfather and Uncle, two of the greatest living fighters of the first war. She had never understood Snape's great distaste for Harry. Black and Lupin, maybe, since they had gone to school together and could have been less than friendly then.

Rolling out of bed, she padded over to the en-suite bathroom and stripped before stepping into the shower. As the wonderfully warm water cascaded over her, she let her mind drift again to Harry. She found herself thinking about him constantly, and something in her mind, a slight feeling of warmth seemed ever present, always seemed to whisper to her about him now. She knew he was happy, and safe, and stranger still, she felt as though the warmth was drawing her towards him, showing her where he was. It was disconcerting, but not overly so. For some reason, Daphne thought it was natural, the way things should be, and for some reason she couldn't think of what it felt like when it wasn't there. Frowning, she stopped for a moment, hands stilling in her hair. What was happening to her? Why did she feel so natural about things she had never felt before yesterday? Deciding to ask her mother when she saw her next, she finished her shower and got dressed in the clothes her mother had quickly retrieved from home last night before heading downstairs.

"Good morning, Daphne." Lord Black-no, he had asked to be called Sirius, smiled warmly at her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you very much." She smiled back shyly before sitting down next to her sister. Marlene filled her plate with bacon, eggs, and hash browns before putting a large glass of orange juice next to it. Looking around the table, she noticed everyone was there, accept for Harry. Feeling down for some reason, she started to pick at her food.

"Anything wrong, Daph?" Her younger sister whispered quietly.

"No, I just…." Daphne shook her head in reply, before hesitating. Looking at the table at large, she tentatively asked the question that was on her mind. "Umm, where is Harry?"

"Harry is still asleep; he should be up soon if his companion has anything to say about it, though." Sirius replied idly, turning a page in his paper. "Well, it seems that Fudge is being an idiot, as usual."

"Oh, what is it this time, love?" Marlene asked from the stove. "Another anti-Remus law?"

"No, he learned his lesson the last time he tried to take us on. No, this time it's another anti-First Generation law." Sirius replied scathingly, and Daphne blinked at the sudden venomous looks and remarks from the rest of the Black family, and surprisingly enough, her sister.

"What's a First Generation?" she asked, curious at what could bring about such a negative response.

"First Generation is what the American's call what you would call Muggleborns." A voice from behind her explained. She turned and felt a comfortable warmth settle in her chest when she saw Harry smile at her from the door frame. "We decided to adopt the phrase, given that "Muggle" and "Muggleborn" are rather prejudiced."

"But why are they called First Generations? What do the American's call Muggles then?" Daphne asked, even more curious do to the partial explanation.

"To answer the second question first, they call them "Mundanes." Harry answered, coming into the room and sitting beside her. "We, and the Americans, refer to them as First Generations because magic cannot be created or destroyed, it can simply manifest in a stronger level than in earlier generations. So, they are the First Generation of their family to be able to wield magic."

"So, Pup, what's the plan for today?" Sirius asked, folding his newspaper and tossing it aside.

"I got word from the girls, I thought I might go and see them today." Harry replied in between bites. Marlene, who was watching them all eat, noticed that her daughter and the elder Greengrass girl frowned at his words. Sighing to herself mentally, she thought  _I guess Siri was right. But crazy things always happen around the kid._  She was brought out of her musings by his voice continuing. "Daphne, Lils, I would love for the pair of you to join me. I want you to meet them before school starts."

"I would love to Harry." Ashe said immediately, looking decidedly happier.

"I would as well, if you don't mind too much." Daphne said quietly, and Harry smiled gently at her.

"I would not have invited you if I did not want you there, Daphne." He said, voice as gentle as his smile, his green eyes locked on their bright blue. She blushed and looked down at the table, hiding her face behind her hair. Sirius watched in amusement, a slight smirk crossing his face as he watched the way the pair interacted, before looking at the clock on the wall.

"If you two are going with Harry, best have Daphne give her mother a Floo call before you leave." The children nodded in agreement, getting up from the table and moving towards the living room and its fireplace. Moments later, Sirius and Marlene heard muffled voices.

"So, it seems that your old friend knew what he was talking about then." Marlene said quietly, and her husband nodded somewhat wearily.

"Yes, it looks like everything is starting to come together." He sighed, standing up and wrapping his arms around her. "Don't worry, love, I'll keep an eye one everything, and so will Nimue."

"I wouldn't mind meeting her sometime, you know." Marlene mused quietly, leaning back into his embrace. She had been told everything that had transpired at her husband's and surrogate nephew's last visit to the school, and had to admit that the idea of Hogwarts having an actual consciousness and personality explained a lot of the things that had happened during her schooling.

"I'm sure Harry could be convinced to let you meet her." Sirius mused, resting his chin on the crown of her head. His wife turned in his arms, looping her around his neck, and smiled sweetly at him. Normally a smile like that would make him a very happy man, but the look in her eye made him feel rather like he had a Mundane crosshair on his forehead.

"He might  _let_  me?" her even tone demanded an explanation and Sirius' eyes avoided hers for a moment before he sighed is resignation and met them again.

"Harry is extremely…protective of those he holds close to his heart. Nimue and the girls even more so." He answered her carefully, failing to go into any specifics.

"I wouldn't do anything to her, or any of them either for that matter." Marlene frowned, feeling slightly hurt that Harry would think she would try to do so.

"I know, love, and Harry does too, but he doesn't want anyone near them that he doesn't have to. It's an instinct, a probable byproduct of the soul-bond. Any pain that they feel, he would feel as well, so his subconscious is telling him to keep them safe from anything and everything." Sirius explained, and Marlene's frown deepened.

"Harry and the girls don't even really know about the soul bond though, do they?" she asked quietly, aware that some of the children in question were only a single room over.

"I don't know…" Sirius said slowly, thoughtfully. "There are some signs that are there that would indicate that he does actually know, and then the next moment he can appear totally oblivious to all of it. I just don't know."

"One of the problems with the fact that he was raised by two Marauders and one of the Lady Marauders is that he is accomplished at hiding things and misdirecting the conversation when you try and get things out of him." Marlene sighed, smiling slightly as she called herself a Lady Marauder. That's what she and Lily had called themselves after they had started dating Sirius and James, as something of a joke. The name had stuck, and soon enough the whole school referred to them that way.

"I know, I guess we just have to watch and wait." Sirius sighed, as they listened to the children yell that they were leaving and the Flue whooshed with a flare of green.

Harry Potter hit the ground and rolled before popping back to his feet. The sound of applause met his ears, and he looked around to see Daphne, Ashe, Katie and Hermione applauding, along with an older woman that had to be Mrs. Bell. With an overdramatic flourish and a broad grin, Harry bowed to his 'audience' and straightened.

"Thank you Ladies, I'm here all week." He said, walking up to Mrs. Bell and offering his hand. "An absoloute pleasure to meet you, ma'am. Mrs. Bell, I presume?"

"Yes, and it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Potter." She placed her hand in his, but instead of shaking it as expected he brought it to his lips and gave it a small kiss.

"Can see where Katie got her lovely looks from." He said, grinning impishly at her while she laughed and Katie blushed.

"Oh my, I can see Sirius' influence in your manner." Mrs. Bell smiled at him, and he bowed slightly. "You are certainly your father's son as well. The both of them were such charmers, back in the day."

"My Godfather likes to think that he still is, ma'am." Harry replied, eyes twinkling as he stepped back. "My Aunt Marlene adores shutting him down when his ego gets to large, ma'am."

"Oh, Marlene and the other Lady Marauders were always the only ones to ever be able to exert any sort of control over those three." She sighed fondly, eyes getting a faraway look as she thought back to the days when they had all gone to school together. After a moment, she shook herself and walk towards the door. "You kids can head to the park if you like. Lunch will be around one, so that should give you a few hours."

"Lead the way, Katie. This is your neighborhood." Harry said easily, opening the door for the group.

"So, girls, how has every one's summers been thus far?" he asked as they turned onto the sidewalk and started down the street.

"Alright, I suppose. I've spent most of my time with Hermione at her house, being forced into doing homework or just relaxing." Katie said, rolling her eyes slightly when she mentioned homework, but smiling at Hermione to let her know she wasn't being mean.

"I finished all my work already, so I've been looking over third year's books with Katie." Hermione said, blushing slightly at everyone's incredulous and amused looks.

"I've just been hanging out with Stori and Lukan, waiting for Harry and Daddy to come home from traveling." Ashe said happily bouncing along the walk.

Daphne remained silent, her eyes on the ground. Everyone here knew Harry so much better. He had just invited her along so that she wouldn't feel left out, that was all. He didn't want to be her friend…her inner gloom was broken, when Harry slung an arm around her and poked her a little, causing her to yelp and swat at him.

"C'mon, Daph, how has your summer been so far?" he smiled at her, and she blushed. He was really such a nice person.

"It's been a little boring. The only real friend I have at Hogwarts is Tracey Davis, and she is in Italy for the summer, in Rome. So I finished my homework in the first week and since then I've just been…sitting around, I guess." She said, a little down and embarrassed.

"Well, we can't have that now, can we?" Harry said, giving her a one armed hug. "Whenever Astoria comes over to play with Ashe and James, I want you to come visit me, huh?"

"Okay, Harry." She said quietly, a faint dusting of red on her cheeks as she looked at the ground. Harry nodded firmly and the group continued towards the park

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Several minutes later, they were sitting on the jungle gym, chatting lightly, when they heard yelling. It was followed by the meaty sound of a hard impact of flesh meeting flesh, and a younger voice crying out in pain while an older male voice yelled obscenities. Harry being Harry set of towards the alley that it seemed like the sounds were coming from. The girls exchanged looks and decided to follow him, although they thought that he was a fool for trying to get involved. He was just a Second Year, and the older voice sounded like it came from a big man. What they dind't know is that Harry had an untraceable, custom made wand that had been a gift from Sirius and Remus over the summer. He fingered it, thinking back to that time…

_Flashback_

_"Harry, by Wizarding law you can't use magic outside of school until you're seventeen." Remus started seriously._

_"I know Uncle Remus, the Reasonable Restriction for Underage Sorcery." Harry said, rolling his eyes._

_"Harry, we all three of us, and our allies, know and accept that Voldemort still lives, and that one day he will be back." Sirius added, also deadly serious for once. That, more than anything, told Harry just how important this discussion was. His Godfather was not a serious man by any stretch of the means._

_"I know, Sirius. What is it." Harry said calmly. His answer was to have Sirius and Remus grab him, and they Apparated away. They re-appeared outside a wand shop in Rome, and the adults led him inside._

_"Ah, Sirius and Remus. I expected to see you sometime soon. Brought young Potter for a wand, then?" a tall, red haired older women walked out of the door from the back._

_"Yes, Miria." Remus answered, smiling at her fondly. "Circumstances deem it fit that he needs a custom, untraceable, wand."_

_"Right you are, Mooney. Come on, young Harry, and let's get started." The women led him into the back room. He held his hand over wood chunk after wood chunk, waiting for the one that "felt right". His hand finally stopped over one towards the end of the row._

_"Hmm, Ebony wood from Africa. The strongest wood in the world. You will be a stalwart defender, shielding others from harm."_

_Then, Harry walked along another row of shells, running his hands over jar after jar of core substances. Again, he reached the end of the row before he found them. The last two jars on the shelf._

_"Hmm, nectar from the flowers of Yggrdasil, the Tree of Life. You shall heal those whom you care for, and live a long life together. Fang of the Manticore. When your loved ones are threatened, you will strike with such fur, ferocity, and strength that none shall stand against you once your wrath is kindled._

_Harry had thought he was done, but there was one more thing to be added, that custom wands had while mass-produced wands did not. A Foci, a powerful crystal to magnify the magic of the wand. This time, he did not react to any of her options. Far from seeming displeased or concerned, Miria had led her into a hidden room. There had rested three crystal types that he didn't recognize. The one in the center had called to him, and as he held his hand out to him, it leapt into his hand and shone brightly._

_"Hmm," Miria seemed fond of making that sound. "The Churitsu-sei, a Japanese crystal that represents neutrality. You, Harry, shall be neither light nor dark. You shall be the shades of grey that will bring this world together."_

_Confused by her words, Harry looked at her only to step back slightly. Her eyes had turned pure black, lacking pupils, irises, even veins. Those black orbs seemed to stare into his soul, and he backed out of the room slowly. An hour later, he had his custom made wand, and a very strange feeling that the woman named Miria knew what she had been talking about._

_End Flashback_

Shaking himself out of the memory, Harry stopped at the head of the alley and looked down it to see a very fat man standing over a solid looking boy who was probably a year older than Harry himself. Gesturing for the girls to stay out of sight, he started down the alley, giving a quick glance to a black shape on top of the nearby fire escape.

"Hey, what's going on here, then?" he said calmly, and the fat man turned to him, a vein throbbing in a fascinating fashion in his forehead.

"Bugger off, you little bastard, or you'll get some too!" the man growled.

"Please, help me! Get the police!" the boy on the ground moaned, and the man kicked him in the face viciously.

"Quiet, you" he snarled. "You and that slut ex-wife of mine are going to pay for this. And you, you little brat, you're going to have to hurt too." He advanced on Harry, one fist drawing back, only to gasp in pain and slump to the ground, unconscious before he hit the ground. Behind him stood Samara, hand still in the air from where she had laid the incapacitating chop to the man's neck.

"Right on time, my dear." Harry said calmly. "Let's find out who he is, yes?"

"Vernon Dursley, my ex-father." The boy who had been under attack groaned, sitting up against the wall. "My mom got a divorce from him after she got tired of him abusing us, about seven months ago."

Harry felt his blood freeze. Marlene and Sirius had told him about his Mum's sister, and the rather unpleasant man she had married. He didn't think it was possible he had just run into them, but then again, considering what usually happened to him…only one way to be sure.

"Petunia Dursley nee Evans?" he asked quietly, and the boy looked up at him.

"Yeah, that's my mum. You know her?"

"Not personally but…she was my Mum's sister." Harry said slowly, and the boy looked at him carefully, before his eyes widened.

"Aunty Lily. Yeah, you have her eyes." He hauled himself to his feet. He stuck out his hand for Harry to shake. "Dudley Dursley, likely soon to be Dudley Evans, if my mum has her way."

"Pleasure. Harry Potter, and these…"he indicated to the girls, who had finally caught up with him, and seemed rather put out with him. "Are some very dear friend of mine."

"Dudley?" Katie blinked at the boy, and he stared at her, before switching his gaze to Hermione.

"Katie and Hermione? You know my cousin?" he seemed gobsmacked, and both girls' eyes widened, and they looked between Harry and Dudley.

"You two are cousins?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"Apparently, we just figured that out." Harry said dryly, as Samara-in her owl form- landed on his shoulder.

"You all should come to my place. My Mum will wanna thank you, Harry, and meet you two. She hasn't heard from Auntie Lily in a long time."

Harry raised his eyebrows, confused. Had no one in the Wizarding world bothered to inform the Evans family that Lily and James had been murdered? Only one way to find out and that was meeting with Petunia. Besides, she could be really nice. More family would always be nice.

"You girls want to come along?" he asked, looking at them all.

"Course we do, Harry. Lead on, Dudley." Katie said firmly. The group of teens and pre-teens headed of fown the street towards Number 4, Privet Drive.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **


	10. Family and Summer's End

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of JudgementJudgment

Chapter 10

Family and Summers End

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

Harry James Potter sat awkwardly on the leather couch in the living room of Number Four Privet Drive while his newly-met Aunt bustled about, giving tea or glasses of water to all of his friends. He honestly was having trouble believing everything that was going on at the moment. Sure, running into an abusive ex-father was odd, but not unheard of. Running into an abusive ex-father who was his ex-uncle, who happened to be pounding on his cousin at the time was beyond odd, it was ludicrous! Really! Whose luck would be strange (Harry wasn't sure if it was good or bad, yet) enough that such a coincidental occurrence could, well, occur? Finally, his Aunt had served everyone and settled down into her chair, looking across the room at him, Hermione on his left and Katie on his right, while Daphne and Ashe had both opted to sit at the floor by his feet.

"So, my Dudley told me you helped him with Vernon." She said after a rather awkward silence. "I truly appreciate that. I got tired of him getting drunk and aggressive, and putting my sister and James down all the time. They're good people, magical or not. Speaking of which, will they be coming to join us? I would love to see Lily again."

"Ms. Evans…" Harry started slowly, unsure of what to say. He had always known his parents were dead, but how was he supposed to tell his Aunt that her sister and brother-in-law had been dead for more than a decade, and that no one had bothered to tell her.

"Call me Petunia or Auntie. If anyone says Ms. Evans, I start looking about for my mother." His Aunt interrupted him with a smile, and he gave her a half-hearted smile in return.

"Of course, Auntie." He replied, before gathering himself. This was not going to be fun. "Mum and Dad…won't be picking me up, or coming to visit again."

"Oh my, I knew that marrying Vernon, and my jealousy over magic had made my sister feel rejected by me, but I sent her letters apologizing and begging forgiveness a long time ago. She never replied, and I hoped it was because of the war you lot were having." Petunia looked rather saddened by the idea that her sister was still angry with her, and Harry grimaced a little. He would rather that was the case.

"Auntie, it's not because of you. The war has been over for nearly eleven years but… it was a war." He hoped that she got the hint, so he wouldn't actually have to say the words aloud. He didn't have much difficulty talking about his dead parents to his friends and family, or if someone asked him questions about them, but for some reason, it was harder right now. Maybe it was because this was his mum's sister.

"Well, I know it was a war, Harry! Your Lord Voldemort's," Daphne, Hermione, and Katie gasped and shuddered, and Harry rolled his eyes while his Aunt frowned at the girls. "Oh, for Heaven's sake! His name is nothing to be afraid of! It means Lord "Flight From Death"! Not in the least bit frightening!" She shook her head at them and returned her attention to Harry. "As I was saying, his followers killed your grandparents on his orders, to try and draw James and Lily out of hiding. Well, it did alright, and they showed those terrorist scum what's what!"

"I'll just bet." Harry mused, although internally he was reeling. His mum's parents had been killed by the Death Eaters! He never knew that! What else could his Aunt tell him about his family! HEe would have been more excited if not for what he knew he had to say next. "Auntie, my Mum and Dad… didn't make it. On the last day of the war, Voldemort found their hiding place and…" he let his voice trail off, and his Aunt stared at him before she put her face in her hands and started to cry. Harry shifted uncomfortably. He felt awful for saying it, but she had to know, and it seemed the Wizarding World as a whole wasn't going to have the decency to say anything. He looked about at his girl friends pleadingly. His one, great weakness was a woman's tears, and he hadn't the slightest idea of what to do now. He was saved, however, by none other than his Aunt, who wiped her face and then blew her nose in a handkerchief.

"I thank you for telling me, Harry. At least I know, now, my sister's fate. I must assume that she and James died protecting you from Voldemort, and that is why you alone survive." She said, and Harry started. She laughed a watery sort of laugh at the look of surprise on his face, and shook her head. "Oh, nephew, long before she was your mother, Lily Evans was my sister. I knew she would do anything for her children, for you."

"Can you tell me more about her?" Harry asked tentatively, and his Aunt nodded, before launching into story after story about his maternal family. Soon, she had the room roaring with laughter as she described the various escapades that her tomboyish younger sister had gotten into, such as disconnecting their father's starter from his car's engine, charming his radio so that it only played music he couldn't stand, or, after she and James had started dating, releasing a Snitch he had charmed specially to smell strongly of catnip in the house, making the three family cats go insane trying to catch it. Finally, Harry was being pecked incessantly on the top of his head by an irritated Umbra, and the room was laughing at him as he cowered from the disguised Samara's punishment of the young man.

"That's her way of reminding me that Mrs. Bell is likely wondering where we have gotten ourselves off to." He said with pronounced regret in his voice, and his aunt and cousin nodded in understanding.

"Off with you, then, and anytime any of you are in the neighborhood, you are welcome in my home." Petunia said firmly, making Harry and company smile and thank her before heading out. As they wandered down the street, Harry held out his arm, and Samara hopped down onto it.

"Head home and tell Sirius that the girls and I will be home shortly. Make sure that no one else sees you, for now." He murmured, and she bobbed her head before taking off, ascending rapidly until she was out of sight. Harry smiled to himself. Now that the girls couldn't see her, he knew Samara was going to use one of her many powers to reach Grimmauld Place within minutes.

"What was that all about, Harry?" Daphne asked, curious, and he smiled at her, glad that she was starting to relax a little. She hadn't talked much all day, and it made him feel like a total jerk to drag her around if she wasn't enjoying it. He forgot that she had asked to come along.

"I just told her to head home. Being my familiar of sorts, she is somewhat more intelligent than most." He replied somewhat cryptically, with a mysterious smile that annoyed Daphne for some reason. Most likely because she hated not knowing things. He must have seen her frown, because he gave a light laugh and a one armed hug. "Not to worry, you'll find out soon enough."

Being the ever so mature twelve year old pureblood that she was, Daphne replied by sticking her tongue out at him, making him laugh again, and she blushed lightly, shoving him away and stalking away while he continued to laugh.

"Daphne, you've passed my house!" she heard Katie yell, and her blush deepened as she turned hurriedly and rejoined the group where they were waiting for her next to the gate into Katie's front garden. A grinning Harry opened the door with a sweeping bow, and the girls filed inside past him. Daphne took the opportunity of his head being lowered to whack him across the back of his head with one hand lightly. Jerking upright, Harry's hand went to the back of his head and he gave her an outrageous pout.

"And here I was being a gentleman, just like my godfather taught me to." He sighed dramatically as he followed her inside and into the kitchen. A snort of laughter from the stove area drew his attention to a highly amused Mrs. Bell.

"Somehow I doubt that Sirius 'Padfoot' Black taught you a single thing about being a gentleman. Being a Pureblood noble Lord, yes. Gentleman, not likely. And no, to be one is NOT the same as being the other, whatever some might think." She chortled as she pulled a pair of roast chickens out of the oven and set them on the counter beside the stove. "You lot take a seat, I'll have this handled."

"I confess that you're correct. My manners come from Uncle Remus and Aunt Marlene. My Godfather teaches me etiquette, how to duel, how to play the political field, how to manage my money…" Harry's voice trailed off, making it clear that he could likely continue for a good amount of time, and Mrs. Bell looked at him oddly as she placed some chicken on his plate.

"Why would Sirius be teaching you too duel? You're too young! Barely a Second Year!" she said, sounding rather displeased, and Harry looked at her with a confused look.

"So? You can never start too young, not when you've got a snake-faced psychopath after your blood." He replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the entire world. "Besides, I happen to have on very good authority that the Defense Professor for the upcoming school year will be not only useless, but possibly detrimental to us and our learning."

"Who is it?" Katie asked, curious, and Harry smirked at her before glancing at Ashe, who giggled when he winked at her. The other occupants of the room looked between the two, and then Katie reached out and swatted Harry on the head like Daphne had earlier. "It's rude to keep secrets and hold them over peoples's heads."

"What can I say, I enjoy surprising people with little bits and pieces of knowledge that I manage to gather. Makes people think I'm some sort of secret genius spy guy that has sources all over the world." Harry said with a broad grin, and the table laughed, entirely unaware that he was being serious. He and his 'Uncles' really did have friends and acquaintances all over the world, of varying ages and races, so Harry knew a lot more than the average person did about world events, especially the world events that the world didn't know about. Yes, that was certainly a wonderful side effect of traveling all over the world and meeting all sorts of people. True, at the moment most of them were nothing more than penpals, but later on, when Voldemort was on his next - and final, if Harry had anything to say about it! - little power trip, they would be valuable and powerful allies to have.

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

The rest of dinner passed with more laughter and the usual small talk that a young group of friends would have, Daphne asking various questions about simple everyday modern Muggle devices. Soon enough, it became time for the group of students to begin parting ways, and hugs were exchanged before Hermione left to walk home, and Daphne, Harry, and Ashe used the Flue to return to Grimmauld Place. From there, it was another round of goodbyes as Daphne returned home to Greengrass Manor. Saying goodnight to Sirius, Remus, Marlene, Lukan and Ashe, Harry quickly headed for his room and the impatient val'kyr he knew was waiting for him there.

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

Samara sat cross-legged on top of the covers and waited for her Master to return home. She was drumming her fingers on her thighs incessantly, shimmering gold hair shifting slightly whenever she moved in the slightest. Looking down at her drumming fingers, she frowned and made the conscious effort to stop them. She never used to be impatient! She was a val'kyr, one of the immortal guardians of old, not some frivolous teenager waiting for her boyfriend to come home! She had waited millennia to meet him, and now she couldn't be bothered to wait a few hours for him to finish spending the day with his future mates!

Samara sighed again, flopping back against the bed, her hair splayed out around her head as her silver eyes stared at nothing. She knew the path that her Master had to walk, ever since she had seen that human make the prophecy a thousand years ago to the Founders of Hogwarts. She had waited ever since, watching for the right one, and her infatuation and dedication with the one vision she had had of him - that of a tall man with black hair and piercing green eyes surrounded by loyal comrades and followers as he battled to save the world from a faceless foe - had infuriated her family, who had begun to see themselves as superior beings, and humans as no longer worth the time to guide and protect, as the Maker had commanded. Then, not so long ago even by a human's perception of time, they had finally decided enough was enough. They gave her an ultimatum - forsake her vision, and her future mate, or die by their hands. She had refused to do either, and had run. She had still been running, seemingly without direction, and there he had been. In a forest clearing by a river, sitting on a rock and looking about as if waiting for her. When she had burst into view, gravely wounded and incapable of holding a glamour together, he had gotten to his feet and aided her, unconcerned by her white wings, gleaming golden eyes, or the otherworldly aura that always clung to her when she was in her true form. He had removed his shirt, tearing it into strips to bandage her wounds, then guided her to the warded campsite that belonged to his guardians and himself. Then, he had given her his own sleeping bag for warmth, choosing instead to remain awake and watch over her.

Samara smiled softly, a light blush staining her face as she remembered it. That was why she had chosen him, that was how she knew he was going to grow up to be the man from her vision. He cared for others safety and comfort first, not his own, and that set him above that of normal, everyday humans. He was a truly good person, and with her help and that of his other mates, he would become far more than that. He would become great. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, she blinked and looked at the alarm clock, before blinking again in surprise. She had been reminiscing with her memories for nearly an hour and a half! Her Master must now be home, and she sat up again as the door to their room opened and he poked his head in, likely to see if she was awake.

"Welcome home, Master. I take it things went well after I left?" she asked with a warm smile as she patted the bed beside her, and the smile he gave her in return warmed her heart as she basked in the Light of his soul. It was soothing to her, like a warm blanket, encompassing everything and everyone around it. Her smile grew as he approached her, and he cocked his head to the side questioningly.

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

"Welcome home, Master. I take it things went well after I left?" Samara's soft alto reached his ear as he poked his head in. Returning her warm smile with one of his own, he noticed that her smile seemed to grow for some reason, and he cocked his head to the side curiously as he drew closer to her.

"What?" he asked softly, and she shook her head before grabbing his hand and tugging him down onto the bed next to her, and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Nothing, it's just still… so strange." She murmured softly, half to herself and half to him. "We've known each other for so short a time, yet I feel as though I have been here for years. Been  _with_  you for years. What will we do at Hogwarts? Will I take this form? Will I be able to spend time with you? Will I have to stay in a different room? I…"

"Samara." Harry's firm voice stopped her vaguely panicky monologue and he put an arm around her shoulders. "Everything will go exactly as we have planned. Remember, Nimue herself is on our side. You will take what form you please, spend the time you wish with me, and stay wherever you like. Relax."

Samara nodded against his shoulder, mentally chastising herself for losing control of herself like that, even temporarily. She had to remember that her Master, different and unusually mature as he was due to their bond, was still only just twelve years old. He shouldn't have to worry about things like this. By the Maker, he shouldn't even have to worry about liking girls for another year or so, but here he was, fully aware that he would have thirteen mates to care for soon enough! She was supposed to be his stabilizing force, his guide, and his protector during these early years, and therefore not act like an emotional young human girl!

 _"Enough, Samara. You've berated yourself far too much recently for my liking."_ His presence whispered in her mind, and she stiffened instinctively.  _"You're doing the best you can, just like we all are. Yes, everything is so much stranger for us than it is for everyone else, and will become even stranger I wager, but not everything that goes wrong is your fault. Relax, and enjoy this. After all, even for us, Hogwarts is a one-time experience. Enjoy it, and let the future come what may."_

 _"I'm sorry, Harry."_ She mentally whispered back, feeling cowed but reassured by the Light of his presence once more as it stretched out into her mind and filled her, and she basked in its warmth happily.  _"I'm… just not sure what to do. For millennia I watched and waited for you, but now that you're here… I'm an immortal Val'kyr, a warrior-guardian of the Maker, and I don't know how to handle the idea of a human school year!"_

_"Neither do I, remember. All my life, I've been training in one way or another for the battle that could save this world… or destroy it. I do not know what will happen to me afterwards, but that is tomorrow. Today is today, and let tomorrow take care of itself. Come on, let's get ready for bed."_

_"Okay Harry."_ The val'kyr replied, getting to her feet. Hugging her master tight, she whispered aloud _._ "Thank you, Master. For saving me, and for keeping me by your side."

"I wouldn't have you anywhere else, Samara." Harry replied, returning the hug, before Samara pushed him away, wrinkling her nose theatrically.

"I already showered, so it's all yours. Off with you, rascal, and don't come back until you're clean!" she commanded with a grin, pointing at the bathroom, and Harry winced dramatically, placing his hand over his heart as though wounded.

"I thought I was supposed to be the Master here." He grumbled with a grin as he headed for the shower, Samara's bright and chiming laughter following him out.

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **


	11. Schooling Begins

**_MANY THANKS TO DRAGON-RAPTOR FOR BEING MY BETA!_ **

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgment

Chapter 11

Schooling Begins

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

The rest of the summer passed quickly, with Harry and his friends spending the majority of their time together in one place or another. Harry was somewhat put out when he learned that he wouldn't be able to meet the Davis family yet, since they were on vacation in Italy and then Hawaii for the entire summer. He was, however, greatly looking forward to the Sorting this year, as Emryys House would be making its big debut.

Soon enough, it was time for the family to head for Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Unsurprisingly, when Sirius Black is involved, chaos ensued. People racing about, clothes and luggage being tossed about and shouts flew back and forth. In the midst of it all, two girls and one older woman sat with an air of incredible amusement.

"You know, I see that you are not getting the best impression of human society, Samara." Marlene Black commented dryly to the silver-eyed young woman that was currently having her hair braided by Ashe.

The Black Family (with the exception of Sirius) had been truly shocked at the discovery that Harry had a val'kyr. In fact, the discovery was purely accidental. Marlene, intending on collecting any dirty laundry in Harry's room, had quietly entered his room the morning after Harry had met his Aunt and Cousin, and shrieked loudly when she saw a (literally) inhumanly beautiful young woman with long hair that looked like solid gold draped half across the boy she regarded as her older son, her head tucked into the crook of his neck, his arm around her waist. The young woman had shot out of bed, silver eyes blazing as she threw one hand in the direction of Marlene's scream and honest-to-God lightning had blazed forth from her fingertips. Fortunately, she was still half-asleep and missed by several inches. Harry, having recognized the yell, dived forwards, half-tackling the girl as she moved to correct her aim, the pair falling to the floor in a tangled mass of limbs as the young Potter tried to calm his companion and ensure his Aunt's survival. He ultimately succeeded, and a long and detailed family meeting followed as Harry, Sirius, and Samara tried to explain why a val'kyr was sleeping with Harry, and why Marlene hadn't been informed. Sirius was consigned to the guest room for a week, while Harry was scolded for not telling Marlene, then hugged tightly and praised for saving Samara.

"I have watched over humans for a long time, Ma'am." The val'kyr replied respectfully, rather enjoying the feeling of her future bond-sister's hands as they ran through her hair. Ashe had quickly taken to her, something that pleased Samara to no end. "Human society never fails to amaze me! Your species is incredible. Your ingenuity and your drive are without compare. For example, going from your species' first flight to landing on the moon in less than seventy years? Astounding!"

"I agree, that is incredible, and even now we have the space station." Marlene agreed, before asking. "What do you mean by our drive?"

"Well, first of all, your drive to succeed, to better yourselves. It is an inherent part of human nature to become better than you are, to improve the world in some way, which is why you advance so quickly. I also am referring to your fortitude. I have watched many of your human wars. I watched the Spartans' last stand at Thermopylae, watched the Confederate Army's charge at Gettysburg and stood upon Little Round Top and saw the stand there. I watched the American Army advance up the San Juan heights in Cuba. And I wept at Normandy as hundreds of thousands threw themselves forward, soaking up German bullets with their flesh so that their comrades could survive to ensure the world remained free." The val'kyr was silent for a very long moment, and it struck Marlene for the first time just how old this seemingly teenaged girl truly was, and what she had seen. She understood what was being said too. The indomitable spirit of the human race, the ability to go forward no matter what obstacle or pain stood in the way to achieve whatever height they sought. To do what had to be done, no matter what the cost. Samara shook herself and continued. "I have seen your ability to be so truly cruel even the Fallen must surely weep, but I have also seen your capacity for such heartwarming companionship and morality it amazes me. Once, during the war you call World War One, I witnessed a most beautiful sight. It was Christmas Eve, and the German's lines and the Allied lines were not far from each other. Instead of fighting or waiting for the next day's battle, they met in the middle of their lines, and broke bread together. Imagine the sight, Marlene Black. Two armies, sworn to destroy the other, to kill in just a few hours, exchanging food. Singing Christmas carols. Praying. Playing games. Showing off pictures of their sweethearts."

Marlene felt herself being drawn in by the val'kyr's words. It must have been a beautiful sight indeed. Men who were going to try their hardest to kill each other the next morning laughing and singing together, able to realize that while their nations were enemies, they were really all the same, and that Christmas is not a time for hate or sadness, but for joy and kindness and compassion. Forgetting, even if for a single night only, that some things truly matter. More than borders or languages or politics. That there is just one race, Humanity, and where you were born doesn't really matter.

"What happened the next day, Samara?" Ashe asked quietly, drawn into the immortal's words as much as her mother, and Samara smiled a little bitterly.

"They followed their orders and butchered each other, on Christmas Day. The day that the Maker's son came to Earth. A day that is supposed to symbolize peace and kindness. Ironic, no?" She shook her head sadly, but smiled again, a little happier. "Yet when the battle was over, they met again, and mourned the other's dead, helped to bury them with dignity and respect. Humans are the ultimate enigma, but such a beautiful enigma it is."

"We are indeed,  _cyare_.*" Harry's voice said quietly as he sat down beside her, ignoring his godfather and Lukan, who were still rushing about in the background. "We are indeed."

Samara smiled and leaned against him as much as she could without pulling her hair from Ashe's hands, his arm going around her waist as the group silently waited for their two unprepared family members.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

"So this is Platform Nine and Three Quarters? I find myself distinctly… unimpressed." Samara mused, looking around. "First of all, it isn't between platforms Nine and Ten, but Five and Six. Second of all, if wizards look down on Mundanes so much, why are they using a train instead of magical methods of transportation? And that paint job burns my eyes."

"So, the magical world is full of hypocritical bigoted idiots. What else is new?" Harry shrugged eloquently, and his family snickered in response. Looking about, Harry spotted Katie and Hermione standing with their parents. Heading over to them, his family following, he waved hello as the two girls noticed him. After being hugged tightly by both girls, Harry turned to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. "A pleasure to meet you, sir and ma'am. My name is Harry Potter."

"So, you're the boy that my baby girl has been gushing about constantly?" Mr. Granger mused, looking him over while shaking his hand firmly. He nodded to himself after a long moment, as if an unspoken question had been answered. "A pleasure to meet you, Harry. I am Daniel Granger, this is my wife Emma."

"My Godfather Sirius Black, his wife Marlene, and the twins, Ashe and Lukan. And this is Samara Ca'tra.**" Harry replied, pointing to the members of his family as he named them. Katie and Hermione eyed the golden haired, dusky skinned beauty standing beside Harry. They didn't recognize her at all, but there was something about her eyes that seemed familiar. Unbeknownst to the pair, Harry fully intended to introduce his val'kyr to the rest of his friends during the train ride.

"And where are you from, Samara?" Mrs. Granger asked politely, and silver eyes met hers for a long moment, and the girl shrugged.

"I met Harry near Rome. Where I came from before that will have to be left unspoken for now, I am afraid. This is neither the time nor place." She replied calmly, and the Grangers and Bells blinked in surprise before the two men nodded slowly in understanding. She was saying that the information was delicate and shouldn't be overheard by others.

"We had best find a compartment to leave our things in." Harry said after a moment, and his fellow students nodded in agreement, and they all trooped of together hauling their trunks. Finding one, they put their luggage in the overhead racks and returned to the platform to say their farewells to their families. On the way, they ran into Daphne and Astoria, and told them what compartment they were staying in. The pair agreed to meet them there after finding Daphne's friend Tracy Davis.

Samara smiled to herself as she watched her Master and his friends say their goodbyes. Soon enough, all of the Hand would be gathered together, and would begin to grow closer and stronger. Her eyes flicked through the crowd unconsciously, drawn to several girls. One, a young blonde with dreamy eyes, was hugging her father good bye. Another, an aristocratic looking Slytherin girl with black eyes and long dark brown hair was saying farewell to her parents. A redhead in Hufflepuff robes was hugging a stern-looking woman with a monocle. A small-ish Oriental girl in Ravenclaw colors was bowing to her parents respectfully before boarding the train. Samara smiled again. Everything was beginning to fall into place.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

"So, Harry, are you going to tell us just who this girl is?" Daphne asked, raising an eyebrow at Samara with a slightly cold look, one which Samara ignored.

"Yes, I will. I must ask that all of you swear an oath to not reveal anything that I am about to tell you. If you can't, then I will have to wait until Hogwarts to tell those who do." Harry replied, and the girls that shared his compartment looked at him with raised eyebrows. One by one, each swore to not reveal anything said, although Tracy was noticeably hesitant, due to the fact that she had only Daphne's word that Harry was a good person. "Thank you. Samara?"

"Of course, Master." The golden haired woman said softly, snapping her fingers twice. Every occupant of the compartment felt magic wash over them, and Tracy shot to her feet, drawing her wand.

"What the hell did you just do?" she asked, eyes a little wild, and Harry held up his hands in a placating gesture.

"Easy, Tracy. Samara just put a Notice-Me-Not and Silencing charm on this compartment. No one can enter, or hear what is being said. Please, sit down and relax." He assured her calmly, and Tracey allowed herself to be tugged down by the Greengrass sisters. "Thank you. Now, this is Samara Ca'tra, and she isn't quite human."

"The sivler eyes were a good indicator." Daphne said dryly, cocking her head to the side. "Vampire?"

"No, she is not a vampire. She is actually a race that very few of you will ever have heard of. Samara is a val'kr, what Mundanes call valkryies. Immortal winged warriors that serve as the guides and protectors for great heroes. I saved her life over the summer." Harry explained, leaving out some details, such as the fact that they were mates and that most of the people in the compartment eventually would be with him as well. It still blew his mind when he thought about it, but that was a long time coming. For now, being their friend was the important thing.

"But, Valkryies are just a myth!" Hermione protested looking around the compartment. "I mean, the ancient Norse thought that they served Odin All-father! They would come for the souls of fallen heroes, to take them to Valhalla for eternity!"

"Hermione, you are sitting in a train to go to a magical school, in a magical world where vampires, werewolves, centaurs, merpeople, and more are everywhere, and you question the existence of a val'kyr? Samara, demonstration please." Harry remarked dryly, and the girl in question stood. There was a blaze of golden light, and when it faded, Samara was revealed. Yet much had changed. Now she was clad head to toe in gleaming silver trimmed golden armor, her face concealed by a large red-trimmed helm, and a large bright silver sword rested point first on the ground before her, her hands clasped over the pommel. Most noticeable of all were the large, pure white wings that curled around her. After a moment, the light flared again, returning Samara to her teenaged form. She plopped back into her seat and rested her head on Harry's shoulder, rubbing her neck with a grimace.

"I hate transforming in small places. My wings cramp up!" she grumbled, ignoring the open-mouthed stares being directed her way.

"Now, there are a lot of things we can't tell you yet about Samara, but I can tell you that her last name means "night sky" and that she is fiercely loyal to me. Which is why, despite my numerous requests, she insists on calling me "Master" whenever she can." Harry glowered at her slightly, and she replied by ever so maturely sticking her tongue out at him.

"Now that that particular bombshell has been dropped: Exploding Snap, anyone?"

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

The rest of the ride passed in companionable fun. Harry managed to successfully divert the girls’ attention away from Samara's true identity, and the group gradually began to grow used to her as the trip dragged on. Harry bought everyone whatever they wanted from the food cart (an action that gained him many kisses on the cheek from the girls) and they settled down to wait the trip out. After they grew bored of Exploding Snap, Harry pulled out a deck of Mundane cards and proceeded to teach the girls poker, something that scandalized Hermione at first, but she eventually joined in. Daphne, it turned out, as well as Tracey were quite the card sharks once they figured out the game. Harry was distinctly glad they were not playing for actual money, as he would have had to take up begging just to eat once the pair was done with him.

"Well, we should be getting pretty close to the school. Come on Lukan. Let's give the ladies some privacy so they can change." Harry said at length, grabbing his robes and leaving the compartment, Lukan quickly following. The girls began to change slowly, chattering about various things that Harry and Lukan would never have been able to follow. The two boys, by contrast, went to one of the on-train bathrooms and simply changed as quickly as possible. After what seemed to Lukan like an interminable amount of time, Harry started to lead him back to the compartment. In reality, Samara had told Harry that the girls were done changing. The pair reentered the compartment to see that the girls were dressed and ready.

 _"Attention students. We will be arriving in Hogsmeade in 5 minutes. Hogsmeade Station, 5 minutes. Please prepare to exit the train."_ The voice of the conductor issued forth from the overhead speakers.

"Alright then, ladies and gentleman, let's get ready!" Harry said cheerfully, and the group began to put books in trunks, stuff leftover sweets into pockets, and double checking their appearances (in the girls case, naturally). Five minutes later, the train hissed and screeched to a halt and the intercom announced that they had arrived in Hogsmeade. Opening the door to their compartment, Harry led his friends out of the train and onto the crowded platform.

"'ey, 'Arry! Good ter see ya!" a booming voice roared over the crowd, and Harry looked round to see his massive friend Hagrid waving from his place on the platform.

"Hullo, Hagrid! Am I supposed to come with you, or take the carriages?" he called back, and the half-giant shrugged.

"Professor Dumbledore reckons that you can do either one. It may be yer first year here, but ya know more about the castle than most everyone." He replied, and Harry nodded to himself.

"I'll take the boats, then." He shouted, and Hagrid nodded as Harry turned to his companions. "Ashe, Lukan, Samara. Stay with me. I'll see the rest of you at the castle."

"Alright, Harry. See you soon." Daphne replied for the group as they began to move toward the carriages.

"Yeah, careful that you don't get eaten by the giant squid!" Tracey snickered, and Harry raised an eyebrow at her.

"Mortimer? He wouldn't do a thing to harm anyone, he's a guardian." He said with a small grin, one which grew as the Slytherin girl did a double take.

"What the…" she started, before getting pulled away by an amused Daphne. Harry shook his head and led his trio towards the boats that would take them to Hogwarts.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

"He is so strange! He actually named the giant squid?" Tracey hissed to her best friend, who snorted in amusement and shook her head as they climbed into a carriage with their year-mate Lilith Moon, an often quiet half-blood with long black hair and warm brown eyes.

"No, the mermaids told him what the squid's name is." Daphne replied casually, and Tracey laughed, assuming that she was joking. When Daphne looked at her weirdly, she stopped laughing and stared.

"Wait, you're actually serious?" she asked incredulously, and the other girl nodded slowly. "That proves it, he's nuts!"

"Talking about Potter?" Lilith asked softly out of the blue. The two girls blinked at her and she smiled shyly at them. "He was very nice to me when the older purebloods talked down to me and made me cry last year. He told me that blood doesn't really matter in the end, all that matters is your skill and your drive to succeed."

"He's right. Lady Potter, God rest her soul, was a Muggleborn who broke nearly every academic record that this school ever had, and was a hero of the War." Daphne agreed, and Tracey shrugged slightly.

"He's not too bad, but maybe he should stop popping out random information, like the name of the squid. It's going to rub some people the wrong way." She said, and the other two nodded in agreement.

"It's just hard for him to act like a normal student. He essentially grew up at Hogwarts, with the teachers helping raise him. I just hope he figures it out before it gets him into trouble." Lilith said in her quiet way.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

All but two of the returning students of Hogwarts felt varying degrees of surprise when they laid their eyes upon the large table that now sat squarely in the middle of the great hall, in between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw House tables. A fifth crest, one depicting a rampant dragon with its wings spread wide hung on the wall above the teacher's table. Many of them asked their friends if they knew what was going on, but no one did. Amusingly, no one thought to ask either Hermione Granger or Katie Bell, both of whom knew what was going on. As the gathered students settled down at their House tables, the doors swung open and Professor McGonagall led a double line of first years through them. Many an older student, however, noted the two somewhat older kids that came in with them, a raven-haired, green-eyed boy of maybe 12 or 13 and a gorgeous girl who looked about 15 or 16 with silver eyes and golden hair. The girl immediately drew attention from the majority of the males in the room, and even some of the females, though both she and the boy ignored all of the looks and mutterings shot their way.

"Good evening, students. As some of you may have noticed, there is a new table and a new house banner. That is because an ancient requirement, put into place by Merlin himself has been met. Therefore, the Fifth House of Hogwarts, the House of Emryys, is now available to be sorted into. All students will be allowed to apply for a resorting into this House. For now, however, let us proceed with this year's sorting!" Dumbledore said, standing at his podium and clapping his hands twice.

"When I call your name, come up and place the Sorting Hat on your head. You will then be sorted into your House." McGonagall said crisply, unfurling her scroll and beginning to read of names. Harry's friends didn't pay a great deal of attention to most of the names, due to their anticipation for Harry and Samara's Sortings, but Samara was paying a great deal of attention, as was Nimue. Only a few Sortings really mattered to them.

"Black, Ashelia!"

"EMRYYS!"

"Black, Lukan!"

"EMRYYS!"

"Lovegood, Luna!" The small blonde girl with the dreamy eyes that Samara had seen on the platform in London skipped up to the stool and plopped the Hat on her head. It was silent for perhaps a minute before roaring: "EMRYYS!"

Finally, the two Sortings that many people were anticipating for a variety of reasons finally occurred.

"Now, we have two students joining us this year. One will be joining Second Year, and the other Fourth Year. If Potter, Harry would please come forward." McGonagall said, rolling up her scroll. She was fully aware of where her pseudo-nephew would be sorted, but it would be best to keep up appearances.

"Harry Potter, did she say?"

" _THE_  Harry Potter?"

"I thought he and his Godfather spent their time gallivanting about the world."

Harry ignored all of these comments and more as he slowly and sedately walked up to the stool and sat down, placing the Sorting Hat on his head.

 _-Oh ho, good to see you back, my boy. Nimue has been borderline impossible without you around, especially after what you had your lovely val'kyr tell her.-_ The Hat whispered in his mind, and he snorted in amusement mentally, amusement that grew when Nimue's 'voice' joining the Hat's.

-I was  _NOT impossible, fool!-_ She hissed in annoyance, and continued to rant for a few moments about anything and everything.

 _-See?-_ the Sorting Hat 'said', blatant amusement filling his 'voice'.  _–Now, we all know where you are headed, but let me say it aloud.-_

"EMRYYS!"

Harry removed the Hat and strolled to the sparsely populated Emryys table. Only about ten of the new students had been Sorted into Emryys, but he knew that more would be resorted soon enough.

"Ca'tra, Samara!" The gathered students watched with almost disturbing amounts of attention as the beautiful teenage girl walked calmly up to the stool, picked up the Hat, and placed it on her head without sitting down. She removed it an instant later and was already walking to the Emryys table by the time the Hat could shout.

"EMRYYS!"

Everyone watched the girl sit down very close to Harry Potter, and speculation began to flow through several people's minds. Their attention was diverted, however, when Dumbledore stood and went to his podium again.

"Now, you can apply with your Heads of House for a resorting at a later date. They will give you the details at a later time. Now, as we once again find ourselves in need of a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, may I introduce Gilderoy Lockhart, who has taken on the task."

The majority of the girls in the Great Hall cheered wildly as the grinning fool stood up and bowed before winking at the population in general. Harry and Samara both snorted in disgust as the girls squeed and some even swooned.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure we are all very glad to see him." Dumbledore remarked, and Harry snorted at the barely disguised contempt and sarcasm in his pseudo-grandfather's tone of voice. If anything, that confirmed his opinion of the man. Albus did not think ill of people lightly. "This is Sirius Black, who will be taking the post of Head of Emryys House. As some of you may know, Lord Black is Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, and a high-ranking Auror and veteran of the last war."

Sirius stood and gave a slight bow to the assembled students before winking roguishly with a cheeky smirk, making every girl that had swooned for Lockhart do so again with loud sighs. Harry snickered to himself while Samara just rolled her eyes at the man-child's antics. Ashe was muttering about telling her mom while Lukan was laughing just like Harry.

"Now then! Let us feast!" Dumbledore said, clapping his hands again and instantly every table was laden with copious amounts of amazingly good food of all kinds. The feast lasted a couple of hours, after which more announcements were made before the students were sent off to bed. Smiling to himself as he lay in his bed that night, in his own private room with a sleeping Samara curled up next to him, Harry smiled at the ceiling happily. Everything was going just fine. The introduction of Emryys had been flawless, with the first years appropriately impressed and proud to have been selected for Merlin's house. He frowned lightly as he recalled meeting Luna Lovegood for the first time.

_Flashback Begins_

_"Hello, Master." Luna said softly, walking up and kneeling before him while he set up his room. Harry blinked down at her in surprise. He hadn't noticed her enter!_

_"Luna? I am not your Master." He said gently, feeling a little confused. "C'mon, don't kneel_

_"You are!" She insisted without moving, no longer sounding as dreamy as she had when she introduced herself in the Common Room. "You are my Master, my future lover, the Heir of Hogwarts."_

_"How do you know all that? I wasn't planning on telling any of you girls for some time. It would be rather awkward if I did." Harry said carefully, staring at her. This was most unexpected!_

_"I have the Sight, Master. I have been watching you in my dreams for a long, long time." The blond whispered, looking up to meet his eyes. "I know that we must wait before we begin to gather the power we need for the coming trials, and before we can show our love to each other, but know this. I love you, Master. I always have, and I always will."_

_With that, the lithe blonde rose to her feet, bowed, and slipped from the room silently, leaving Harry to stare after her._

_Flashback End_

Harry shook his head mentally. Clearly, Luna was as prepared and prematurely matured as he was. It was also gratifying and heartwarming to know that she had known all this time, and that she loved him. Harry was not short on people who loved him, far from it, but there was a difference between his 'Aunts' and 'Uncles' and even the Black family telling him they loved him, than when Samara, Luna, Nimue, or any of his other future mates said it. He sighed a little to himself and wondered, not for the first time, whether he might have wanted a normal life. As always, he smashed the thought ruthlessly. He would not trade the people he loved and would come to love for anything. Sure, his life might have been 'normal' in some other reality, but he would miss out on so much. That was not a loss he would ever willingly take.

Closing his eyes, he pulled Samara closer let himself drift away, sleep overtaking him quickly and comfortably.

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

Elsewhere, at the same time, two hooded and cloaked, but noticeably female, figures flitted through the forest at inhuman speeds, skidding to a halt in the remains of an old campsite in a small clearing in the large forests just north of Rome.

"Tch! Mother! They're gone! We missed them again, by quite a while it seems." The shorter and likely younger of the two groaned is disappointment, and her mother hugged her around the shoulders with one arm.

"Yes, I would say that they left maybe a month ago, judging from the looks - and scents - of this site." She replied, looking around and sniffing experimentally. "Not to worry, my child. We will find them soon. Our mates cannot be kept from us forever, no matter what."

"Are you sure mother? I mean, what if we're wrong? We met them for barely a moment before they left. We never even got their names!" The younger sighed, sounding depressed, and the mother hugged her again.

"Calm yourself, Ailyn. Your great-grandfather may be able to find them, he has many contacts amongst the major magical nations. Our mates were British, so at least we know which country to look in. Come, let us go to him." The mother assured her before flitting away through the trees again. The girl now identified as Ailyn stayed still for a long moment, unmoving, before slowly walking over to stand behind a tree. Leaning down, she picked up a few broken leaves of the ground and held them to her nose. Inhaling deeply, she sighed happily. Her mate's scent covered them! Taking another deep and blissful breath, she carefully sealed them into a small plastic bag and tucked them into a pouch on her belt before racing after her mother. Her mother was right. Her great-grandfather would help her find her mate. She knew he would!

**_HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_ **

There you go, chapter 11. As always, please leave me a review and let me know what you think!

 _*Cyare_ -means "beloved"

**Ca'tra- means "Night Sky"

There is an actual movie about the moment Samara described from WW1. I don't remember the name, but it really did happen, and it is a truly amazing movie. I recommend it to all of you.


	12. Fire and Stone

** This chapter is dedicated to apAiden, who reminded me of the name of the movie about the World War One moment I referenced last chapter. The movie is “Joyeux Noel” or “Merry Christmas”, and came out in 2005. I may have seen an older version, but I’m not sure. Regardless, watch it and be in awe! **

** As Always, many thanks to my amazing beta-reader, Dragon-Raptor! **

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgment

Chapter 12

Fire and Stone

 ** _HP &THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ_**           

“Good morning, Harry!” several voices chirped happily has Harry walked into the Emryys Common Room.  Harry smiled around at Daphne, Ashe, Hermione, and Katie, who had spoken.  Tracey and Lily Moon both nodded hello, still not quite as familiar with him as the others, although they were getting there.  Luna, in typical Luna fashion, smiled dreamily at him with a faint dusting of pink on her cheeks.  Samara silently slipped into the room behind him quietly, none of the girls questioning her presence in his room.

                “Good morning, ladies.  I take it you waited for me so we could all go to breakfast together?” he replied, hugging each of them in turn.

Nearly three months had passed since school had begun, the Christmas holiday was a fond memory, and Emryys House was well on its way to becoming the top House in the school.  While the Gryffindors and Slytherins bickered and lost each other points, Emryys House quickly and quietly cultivated friendships with members of every House, promoting the original ideals of the Founders.  Speaking of the House, it had also grown greatly as many students asked to be re-sorted.

Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, the Weasley Twins, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, Tracey Davis, Daphne Greengrass, Lilith Moon, Hermione Granger, the Patil Twins, Li Su and Neville Longbottom were all among those who passed the Hat’s evaluation, while others (such as one Ron Weasley) tried and failed, sometimes spectacularly so as they protested the decision and were often embarrassed before the student body by the Hat, which apparently disliked being questioned in it decisions.  These instances had been rather… off-putting to those who also wanted to attempt a re-sort, but Harry was willing to bet they would be trying again within a couple of weeks.

The members of Emryys quickly became close friends with one another, the relatively small size of the House population making it much easier to meet everyone and get to know them, as opposed to the larger Houses, where there were simply too many people to meet them all.

                “Of course, Harry, how could we not?”  Hermione grinned at him, happy as she always was in the presence of her best friend.  “It’s what we’ve done every morning.”

                “Honestly Harry, is your memory slipping in your old age?”  Daphne teased, and Harry snorted in amusement.

                “Aren’t you older than me?” he muttered to himself.  Or, rather, he thought it was just to himself.  The girls heard and Daphne leveled at him a sparkling smile that filled him with fear.

                “I’m sorry, Harry, what was that?” she asked sweetly, and he shuddered slightly, waving his hands before him hastily.  He recognized that look and tone, one he had received a few times from the older women in his life when he had been bad.

                “Nothing, nothing!  Slip of the tongue!  I’m starving, I wonder what’s for breakfast!” he said very quickly, turning to the other girls quickly. “C’mon, let’s all go eat!”

The raven-haired boy quickly rushed from the room.  The instant the girls heard his feet enter the castle hallways they broke into a fit of giggles at his behavior.

                “You scared him, Daph.” Hermione chortled, despite trying to sound chastising.

                “Boy did he scamper out of here!” Tracy snickered loudly.  She had been terrified at first when all of her letters from Daphne had started being almost entirely about Harry Potter.  She had been so scared that she was going to lose her best friend over a boy, something that they had sworn to each other would never, ever happen no matter what.  Daphne had assured her that she wouldn’t do that to her oldest, and best, friend before saying that once she met Harry she would understand.

She hadn’t, not right away, but she was definitely starting to.  She may not have a massive crush on him like half of Emryys seemed to, but she was starting to appreciate his company.  At least, that’s what she told herself at least a dozen times a day.  She had given up telling herself she didn’t have one at all, and was now insisting that she only had a _small_ crush on him, something that had her receiving amused and knowing looks from the other girls whenever they caught her staring at Harry, although she went out of her way to act reserved around him and in public.  Of course, the boy in question was as oblivious to her budding feelings as she was to those of the rest of them, something that somehow made him all the more endearing despite the frustration that came with it.

The extreme frustration that came with it, actually.  Witches matured even faster than Mundane girls, and as such by the ages of thirteen or fourteen they were already thinking about boys.  Wizards, while maturing faster than Mundane boys, still took a great deal longer to notice girls as more than friends, creating the current discomfort of the young women interested in Harry Potter.  They weren’t entirely sure how a boy that was so gifted with magic, charisma, and intellect could be so monumentally stupid, though they had done their best to find out.  In fact, each girl had written home to their parents asking for advice, wondering if he simply didn’t like them, and each had received the expected reply along the lines of “He’s a boy.  They’re oblivious at that age.”  They were somewhat reassured, but each prayed in their hearts that Harry didn’t choose someone else.  Luna, of course, knew better than to fear what might become of their future relationship with Harry, as did Samara, but both respected Harry’s wish to keep silent about the soul bonds and the future, even if they didn’t entirely agree with his decision.

                “I suppose we should go and catch up with him, shouldn’t we?”  Luna said lightly, drifting off towards the door with her ever-present smile.  “It wouldn’t do to let some of those harpies try and take our places at his side, would it?”

Her words prompted a mass exodus of the group of girls that had feelings for a certain raven-haired young man.  The morning after the Opening Feast, the girls had arrived a little late to breakfast to find Harry being swarmed by girls of all ages from all the houses, many flirting outrageously with him, though he seemed entirely oblivious to their advances.  The Emryys girls, even those that had no feelings for Harry, had quickly inserted themselves around Harry, sometimes a little forcefully.  That morning, a war had been declared between the girls that liked Harry, and the fangirls, who wanted him for his future titles and wealth.

Quickly arriving in the Great Hall, the girls sat around and across from Harry, who greeted each in turn with a smile, Samara and Ashe sitting at his right and left hands as they always did.

                “Potions first thing today, Harry.”  Daphne reminded Harry, making him grimace and the others to growl in annoyance.  “We will sit around you, and Tracey will work with you as always, but _please_ try to stay calm and ignore the Greasy One’s taunts.  Getting angry hasn’t done you any good so far, and it never will.”

                “Greasy bat.” The boy muttered a little rebelliously.  Snape had gone out of his way to try and humiliate Harry, and his friends, as often as possible.  Amusingly, Nimue had decided to get some back for the mates and their future husband in ways that only the soul of a millennia old castle could, causing chairs to vanish from under him, his potions supplies to disappear, and bottles of shampoo and conditioner to appear randomly in his presence.  Such as the middle of lunch or class, in full view of everyone.  And that was only the beginning.

                “Enough, Master, you won’t get anywhere by focusing on Snivellus’ grudge-based immaturity.  Focus on the future.” Samara scolded him lightly, deliberately referring to him as “Master” to get his attention. “Get good grades, focus on becoming more powerful.  That is what is important right now.”

                “You’re right, of course.  It just infuriates me when he starts in on you girls.  Referring to Tracey, Daphne, and Astoria as disgraces for being in my House and no longer being Slytherins.” Harry sighed, clenching a fist inadvertently.  The girls smiled happily at his protective nature which, although it was sometimes a little bit _too_ prominent, was still a wonderful thing to have directed towards you.  After a moment, he smiled crookedly and shrugged. “Ah, well.  Might as well worry about it later.  Eat up, all of you.”

The group ate their breakfast quietly, the girls watching Harry, who was being rather quiet and introspective.  Hermione and Katie recognized the expression he often wore inadvertently when he was talking with Nimue.  Harry had thus far insisted that no one else be told about the millennia-old teenager, pointing out that his connection to her marked him as the heir to the Founders, something that would paint an enormous target of all kinds on his back with certain people who were a little too comfortable with their power, or a little to backwards in beliefs such as blood purity.

 _Nimue?_ Harry called silently, and immediately felt the soothing presence of the castle settle upon him like a warm blanket, prompting him to smile a bit involuntarily at the comforting feeling.

 _Yes, my love?_ Nimue whispered back softly, as though afraid that anyone else could hear.  They couldn’t, of course, but perhaps she simply enjoyed whispering to him.

 _I have had a bad feeling in my gut these last few weeks, as though something… sinister is about.  Do you know anything about it?_ He asked, and he felt Nimue frown in thought.

 _No, nothing.  Then again, I am not perfect, there are ways to avoid my gaze if one knows how to do so. Especially since…_ her voice trailed off, catching Harry’s attention.  She had sounded… strange, there.

 _What is it, Nimue?_ He asked gently, and a distinct feeling of discomfort flowed across their link.

 _Ever since this year began, I’ve been getting… ‘ghosts’, I guess you could call them.  Not the actual ghosts, but small blips of Darkness that are there and vanish before I can focus on them.  It’s disturbing, a feeling I’ve not felt in nearly 50 years._  She responded slowly, and Harry frowned deeply.  He didn’t doubt that these ‘ghosts’ existed, not if Nimue was the one sensing them, but what could evade her detection so easily, and why had it not been felt for 50 years?

 _Keep watching, but don’t be worried yet.  Nothing seems amiss at all, from what I can tell.  No point in letting our guards down, however._  Harry said finally, before returning his attention to his companions as they began to get to their feet, breakfast over.

The group split up, Katie heading for her third year Transfiguration class, Astoria, Luna, Ashe, and Lukan to their first year Charms class, and the second years following Harry down into the cold, dark, and damp dungeons for yet another ‘enjoyable’ Potions lesson with one Severus Snape, widely acknowledged by anyone with some semblance of a brain as a bitter man with a cruel and immature grudge-holding streak a few kilometers wide.  It was also acknowledged, though with a great deal of reluctance, that he was one of the most knowledgeable Potions Masters in Europe, and second most in England, right behind one Horace Slughorn, who had been his mentor.

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

By the time Harry and his companions arrived outside the dark and dreary dungeon that was used for Potions Class (likely so that if anyone blew something up, they wouldn’t take anything of significant value with them, such as a priceless painting or suit of armor), the Gryffindors and the Slytherins were already lined up outside the door, on opposite sides of the hallway and as far from each other as possible.  This made Harry snort in derision.  Honestly, if his four mentors/friends could see what had become of their Houses, they would cry before giving them a talking too that they would never forget.  Rivalry was all well and good, but if it went far enough, and was so childish, as to ensure students wouldn’t even be within a few meters of each other, never mind talk to each other, then it went beyond rivalry to stupidity.  Ignoring both groups, the Emryys students moved further along the corridor and lent up against the wall, casually chatting about their holidays.  Each of the girls had spent at least a little time at Harry’s house, and he at each of theirs, and the girls seemed to be competing over whose ‘Harry Holiday Time’ had been more fun, making Harry mentally roll his eyes at the competitiveness amongst his future wives.  At least they were having fun with it, not acting like two certain Houses.  Outwardly, of course, he maintained the obliviousness that would be expected of a boy his age.

“Heya, Harry, mate!” a rather loud and extremely irritating voice called hollered, much louder than was needed.  Harry groaned under his breath and the girls sighed as Ronald Weasley rushed up to Harry.  The redhead had taken too harassing Harry as often as possible, calling him ‘mate’ and acting like they were best friends all the time while insulting his girls in subtle and not so subtle ways at the same time.  He also tried to sit next to Harry every class, but the girls had put a stop to that by either sitting next to him first or, in the case of Potions, using a repulsion rune.  When Daphne and Tracey had carved it into his cauldron (and ensured it made everyone outside of Emryys feel the urge to sit elsewhere) they had been asked how they knew something not learned until late Third Year, they had simply replied that they were practicing for the later years in Slytherin, until they had been re-Sorted.  The others had caught the implication, and Harry had immediately instructed Nimue to pay extra attention to the Slytherin dorms, authorizing her to override Snape’s ‘ban’ on her ‘eyes’ if she felt it necessary.  Ron looked at Tracey, who was against the wall as close to Harry as she could be without being directly against him, and barked at her. “Move it, Davis.  I need to stand next to _my_ best mate!”

“You’re not his ‘best mate’, Weasel!  He doesn’t even like you!” Tracey hissed back in anger, tired of the Gryffindor’s insults and harassment of her… friend.  While she wasn’t yet as fond of Harry as the others, she still cared about him a lot, and this redheaded loudmouth caused him, and the others, a lot of stress. “Just shove off and go back to your own damn line!”

“Shut up, you damn snake!  The only reason he’s nice to you is because he knows you’ve got no friends, and because he doesn’t know all of you are friends with him so you can get his gold!  But **_I_** know better!” Ron snarled at her, making Tracey’s eyes go wide as she glanced at Harry.  She felt her heart sink at the mingled furious and confused look on his face.  He didn’t really believe the Weasel… did he? “Harry, mate, they’re just a bunch of gold-digger snakes!  You can’t mix with people like that!”

“Enough, Weasley, I grow tired of your voice!” Harry rumbled with a commanding air and an oddly formal tone of voice.  The girls shuddered as his presence washed over them, and smiled at the feeling.  It was like a warm blanket settling around them, and never cease to amaze them and make them feel happy and at peace. “Begone from my presence before I decide to seek compensation from you for your harassment of my own person and my friends!”

“Harry, mate, you’ve got it all wrong!  I’m just looking out for you!  You can’t trust these damn Slytherins” Ron said through a forced smile and gritted teeth.  Once again, things were not going as he planned.  Why didn’t the Boy-Who-Lived see that he was meant to be Ron’s best mate, and all these girls could do their homework for him?  Then they could sit, relax, and play chess all day without a care in the world, and eventually he would get the Boy-Who-Lived and his baby sister together, then all that money would go to the Weasley family and he would finally live the life he deserved, and prove he was better than his brothers!  Ron was broken from his daydreams (read: delusions) of his brothers praising his superiority and looking at him in awe by the Boy-Who-Lived’s voice.

“My father’s mother was a Slytherin, you know, and since you’re a pure-blood, I can guarantee that you’re related to at least one or two yourself, thanks to the way you lot intermarry these days.  Besides, I don’t need someone like you looking out for me, Weasley; I can take care of myself.  I was raised by two veterans of the last war, one of whom is a Senior Auror Captain.  Anything that could cause _me_ trouble wouldn’t even notice you as they crushed you beneath their boot.  Now, **_get out of my face!_ ”**

“Tch!  Black is Dark, just like the rest of his family, and that damn werewolf half-breed is no better than…” Ron started to retort stupidly, as anyone with a fraction of a brain would know that insulting Harry’s pseudo-parents was a stupid idea.  That truth was once was reinforced for everyone watching as Harry’s wand was abruptly in his hand and pointed between Ron’s eyes in a split second, its tip glowing a white-blue and crackling slightly.  Startled, the red-head looked into the raven-haired boys’ eyes and shuddered at the look in them.  Cold and entirely willing to curse him.  Those eyes scared the piss out of him.

“Insult my family and my friends again, and I will _personally_ introduce you to exactly what they’ve been teaching me all of these years.” Harry said with the calm finality of someone far older than his age, showing the watching students the other side of the usually kind and laid-back Boy-Who-Lived.  Ron quickly backed off and retreated back to the Gryffindor line, already plotting his next attempt to gain the Boy-Who-Lived’s favor.  Tracey immediately turned to Harry, a trace of desperation in her eyes.  She couldn’t stand the idea of Harry mistrusting or disliking her.  What if he stopped being her friend?  What if he left her and the others?

“Harry, you know what he said about us was a lie, right?  We would never…” she started to say, only to be cut off as Harry laid a finger against her lips, silencing her while a fiery blush spread across her face at the feeling of the rough and calloused finger against her soft lips.

“I know, Tracey.  I know that none of you care about my family name or my gold, or about the ‘Boy-Who-Lived’,” Harry rolled his eyes, the contempt for the title clear in his tone as he continued. “…but for Just Harry.  Ignore the stupid things other people say, they’re beneath you.  The only opinions and thoughts that should matter to you are those you care about and who care for you in return.  Everyone else is simply a passing acquaintance.  Their opinions will not matter, in the long run, while your families and friends will last forever.  Remember that, _my_ pretty flame-haired lady.” He said softly but sternly, his brilliant green eyes holding her own pale amethyst, and her blush darkened at the possessive affection in his voice before she allowed herself to be tugged up against him, one strong arm wrapped around her shoulders, her hand lightly clutching onto the side of his robes as she hid her face in his shoulder.  The other Emryys students, and even a few Gryffindors and Slytherins, mentally commented on how sweet the scene was, with Harry lightly resting his head on top of hers, while Tracey had a faint but blissful smile on her face as her head pillowed on his shoulder, eyes half-lidded.

Of course, the moment was almost immediately destroyed by the arrival of the (thus far) largest and ugliest buzz-kill known to any being that called Earth home.

“Separate immediately!  Thirty points from Emryys for such a public display of affection!” Severus Snape barked as he opened his classroom door, black eyes boring into the pair, who reluctantly separated.  Harry’s eyes meeting the Potions Professors’ glare for glare as he defiantly grabbed Tracey’s soft hand in one of his own rougher ones. “Get inside and set up, at once!”

Harry, of course, was well aware of why Snape was in such a foul mood, and it both amused and disgusted him.  With both his own and Tracey’s eyes closed, he was sure Snape had experienced a moment of déjà-vu, back to his days as a student, and seeing Harry’s parents together.  Of course, save for the red hair, Tracey looked nothing like his mother and his parents hadn’t dated until much later on in their school careers, but he expected Snape (bitter bastard that he was) had seen what he wanted to see.  Harry shuddered internally as the students filed into the room and sat down, setting up their cauldrons.  The very idea of Snape being in love with his mother was beyond nauseating, never mind them ever having dated or (here he actually blanched in horror) _gotten married!_  God, what a horrifying thought!

“Now, as you have no doubt forgotten the already meager skills in brewing that I managed to pound into your thick skulls over the holiday break, you will be brewing the simple Swelling Solution.  A usable potion will result in a passing grade, while anything else…”  here his eyes lingered on the Emryys students, who as always sat in the middle of the room, between the Gryffindor and Slytherin sides.  They simply returned his gaze stoically, refusing to take the bait or let him get a rise out of them. “...will result in a failing grade.  The instructions are on the board, you have forty five minutes.  Begin.”

 _Remind me again why this man hasn’t been fired yet?_  Harry groused mentally, knowing that Nimue was ‘with’ him.  A soft giggling echoed in the back of his mind, making him mentally frown at the millennia-old spirit as he began to work on preparing the cauldron, while Tracey’s delicate and refined hands wielded the knife, swiftly preparing the ingredients for use.

 _Hmm… could it be because he IS a highly qualified Potions Master?  Or maybe it’s because he will be an incredibly valuable spy when Voldemort finally returns, as his perfect ability in Occulumency will allow him to stay undercover as long as necessary?_ She replied with a humor-filled voice, and Harry huffed at her in response.  Unfortunately, he did so aloud, and Snape was on him in an instant.

“Something to share with the class, Potter?  Perhaps all is not well in the world of fame, attention-seeking fortune?” the man sneered, and Harry had to bite his tongue to resist snapping back.  After a long moment, he smiled brightly at the Professor

“Oh, no, Professor Sniv-erm, _Snape_.” He replied in a cheery voice, and felt a tendril of amusement worm its way through him at the look in Snape’s eyes at the first few syllables of his hated school nickname. “I was just thinking to myself about how sad your Christmas holiday must have been, stuck here in the castle with only a few other teachers and a distinct lack of toiletries for company.  Why, all the soap, and shampoo, and conditioner… it was all being replaced over the holiday!  However did you manage?”

Several students from all three Houses snickered softly at the obvious but theoretically innocent dig towards Snape’s perpetually greasy hair, and the man gritted his teeth.  Technically, the boy had done nothing wrong, and he immediately cast about finding something feasible to punish the boy for.  His eyes landed on the boy’s idle hands and smirked as he found it.

“Fifty points from Emryys for ignoring a teacher’s instructions and forcing you partner to do all the work.  Back to work, Potter.” He sneered, before sweeping away to harass the Gryffindors.  Harry and his friends rolled their eyes eloquently at his back before returning to their own potions.  A half an hour later, the Emryys students were, as a whole, done with their potions.  Harry carefully stoppered the glass vial that held his and Tracey’s potion sample, before Vanishing the rest of the contents in the cauldron, something most Second Years would-or could-do, but he had always been taught not to leave any potion in the open where things could fall into it.  Either accidentally… or intentionally.

Indeed, it was fortunate that Harry and his friends were already done, and their samples sealed, because not a minute or two after they finished, disaster occurred.  Ron Weasley, who had been busy glaring and fuming at the ease and skill with which the Emryys students worked, hadn’t been focused on what he was doing.  Seamus Finnegan, his lab partner, was busy reading the instructions over once more, and so was unable to prevent him from pouring an entire cup full of armadillo bile into their cauldron (which happened to be Seamus’).  The recipe for the Swelling Solution called for a total of one dram of the highly concentrated acid.  The result of such an excess was… truly spectacular. Seamus’ cauldron blew sky-high, throwing the pair to the ground with shards of metal stabbed into various (fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view) non-lethal areas of their bodies.  Over-strength Swelling Solution splashed over the entire class, causing many to shriek in pain and fear as parts of their bodies began to enlarge at alarming rates to insane sizes.  Harry, thanks to his training (read: torture) with Remus and Sirius, was faster than his fellow students.  Snapping to his feet with a hasty command through his link to Nimue, he snapped his fingers.  Immediately, a dome-shaped ward coalesced around the Emryys students, shielding them from harm.

 ** _“YOU DAMN FOOLS!”_** Snape howled in horror, shock, and rage as he swept to his storage cupboard and began snatching ingredients off of the shelves even as his own cauldron appeared on his desk and began to heat.  He began to craft the antidote so fast his hands seemed to blur, and he glared around the room without stopping, his eyes falling on the unharmed Emryys students, specifically Harry. “You!  You knew this was going to happen!  Two hundred points from Emryys, and all of you will spend every night for the rest of the year in detention, with me!  Your arrogance and worthless stupidity has resulted in mass injury!”

Harry growled in the back of his throat and opened his mouth to fire back his own barrage of anger, when both Daphne and Tracey stopped him, laying their hands on his arms and whispering softly to him.

“Leave it for now, Harry.  Push him to much farther and he will snap.” Tracey murmured into his right ear.

“Harry, just stay calm and let Dumbledore handle the bastard.  You know those punishments won’t stand.” Daphne pleaded into his left, and he growled again before slamming his hands on the desk and spinning on his heel.

“Emryys.  We’re leaving.  I’m going to the Headmaster.  The rest of you, take your potion samples and return to the Common Room, and send Sirius after me.  If this isn’t solved by the time next period starts, go to your classes as normal.  I’ll catch up.” He said commandingly, his anger making his words short and his tone harsher than he had intended as he stalked from the room.  The Emryys students quickly did as he instructed, packing away their things and hurrying from the room before Snape could get through his incoherent anger to say anything to them.

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

“I refuse to bow to that brat, Albus!  The punishments stand or he will be unwelcome in my classroom!” Snape shouted, pacing angrily before the aged Headmasters desk while a coldly glaring Harry stood on the other side of the room beside an angry Sirius.

“These punishments are completely insane, Snape!” the Auror Captain growled, sounding very much like the Grim that was his Animagus form. “Fifty points for not being at work while you were harassing him?  Two Hundred for protecting his housemates?  A YEARS worth of detentions for every Emryys second year just for not getting hurt?  This is harassment, plain and simple, and you would do to remember just whom you’re targeting!”

“A brat, hyped up on his fame and Quidditch skills, just like his worthless father!” Snape shouted back, and Sirius swelled visibly at the insult to his deceased friend, especially in front of aforementioned friend’s only son.

“The Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, amongst others!  Don’t forget yourself, Severus Tobias Snape, lest you suffer the wrath of House Potter, House Black, and our allies!  Never mind that the other students you are unjustly punishing are the next Lady Greengrass, Lord Longbottom, Lady Bones, and Lady Abbot!” he shouted, and Dumbledore visibly blanched as he panicked inwardly.  If things kept progressing this way, the might of the Wizengamot would be brought to bear on his Potions Master, which would lose them a valuable asset in the next war, when Voldemort returned.  Seeing Snape about to let loose again, Dumbledore rose to his feet, slamming his hands down on his desk as he let loose a wave of magical pressure, silencing the two combatants.

“THAT IS ENOUGH!” he roared, surprising Harry with his intensity and tone.  He had never seen his aged grandfather-figure like this.  The Leader of the Light and the Slayer of Grindlewald.  The most powerful wizard since the Founders themselves. “The pair of you are acting like nothing more than a pair of children arguing on the playground over petty nonsense!  Severus, you WILL NOT insult those who sacrificed their lives in the war, no matter whom they may be, in my presence!  Certainly not in the presence of James’ son!  Sirius, you are as aware of I am that involving the Houses of the children and the Wizengamot will do nothing to help us in the long run!  Yes, the punishments were unjust! Yes, they will be negated!  Severus, you will help your students brew their potions at the lower years!  If you had done so, we could have avoided this whole disaster!  That is the end of it, understand?  Harry is not his father, and he cannot be blamed for his father’s attitude, as he never met the man!  You DO remember that James and Lily are dead, do you not?”

Harry watched as that particular salvo went home, Snape’s eyes tightening angrily at the implication that he had forgotten Lily’s death.  He sighed internally at the man.  He understood that the man had loved his mother, and his father had been cruel to him, but they were dead, and he needed to move on.

“Harry, please return to your Common Room and get ready for your next class.  I need to speak with Sirius and Professor Snape alone.” The Headmaster sighed finally, and the young man nodded with curt respect before turning on his heal and exiting the room.  Only after the door was shut and the office wards informed him that Harry was out of earshot did he start speaking again.  “Now, I understand that the pair of you have had and still do have your issues with each other, and you with James Potter’s memory, Severus.  But you will not allow that to affect your work.  That is non-negotiable.  You can be coldly indifferent to the boy if you must, only speaking to him if you have to, but you WILL remain civil.  Sirius, you will not involve the Wizangamot in any way shape or form.  A great deal of damage could be brought onto our future and survival if you do.”

“And what about the future of the children, Albus?  You know as well as I that it will be they, not we, who truly fight the next war.  They damn well won’t be able to with people like Gilderoy Lockhart teaching defense, and Snape here letting them blow themselves up trying to make a simple Swelling Solution!  We won’t make it through the damn war if this is the kind of schooling they’re getting!” Sirius retorted, and Albus nodded his agreement, albeit slightly begrudgingly.

“You’re right Sirius, but no one else would take the job.  Until those Magical Creature Rights Bills we are pushing in the Wizengamot go through, I can’t hire Remus as planned.  The sooner it gets done, the sooner Lockhart goes and takes his idioc… erm, his _worldly experience_ with him.  The fact is, the man is the only one willing to take the job who actually _can_ at the present time, and without a Defense teacher the Board would have to put the school on probation.  Something we all want to avoid, I think.”  He replied calmly and reasonably, and Sirius sighed with a nod of his own, though his mouth turned up at the corners at Albus’ near-insult to the golden-haired fop.

“Fine, Albus, but Snape had better behave.” The Black Grim growled out before leaving the office.  Snape stared at the Headmaster for a long, long moment, a stare the Headmaster returned with equal measure, before he too departed in a swirl of black cloth.

“Fawkes, my old friend, I only hope that we will survive each other long enough to fight the war.” The aged wizard said with a heavy groan as he, in a very undignified manner, banged his head on his desk thrice before calming leaning back in his chair and popping several lemon drops into his mouth.  The magnificent phoenix settled onto his perch nearby trilled in exasperated agreement.  Like Albus, he was growing weary of the apparent immaturity of certain people.

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

“…and that is how I defeated the Wagga-Wagga werewolf!”  A golden haired moron was just finished saying in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, much to the joy of the entire class.  Most of them, because they were in awe of his apparent skill and bravery at facing such a terrifying beast.  For everyone with half a brain, they were feeling immeasurable joy because the idiot was finally going to shut up, a class was nearly over.  Alas, they still had ten minutes left in class, just enough time for the ‘Professor’ to lax poetic about how magnificent they would discover he was through whatever waste of time he decided to label as homework that night. “Now, tonight, I want all of you to write at least a foot about how my method of defeating the Wagga-Wagga werewolf can be properly used by each of you, should it prove necessary!”

“As if anything he had to say would do us any good.”  Tracey muttered to Daphne, who giggled behind her hand at her oldest friends words.  Fortunately, Lockhart seemed to hear her, and was standing next to her desk with surprising speed for such a fake.

“What was that, Miss Davis?” he asked curiously, his tone conveying that he was unsure of what exactly had been said.  Tracey took this golden opportunity to openly and publically mock the so-called teacher while being unerringly polite and respectful.

“Oh, nothing, _Professor._ ” She said sweetly, smiling up at him with a mischievous glint that he no doubt took to be admiration, self-absorbed as he was. “I was just saying how good your advice and technique must be if you’re an _Honorary Member_ of the Dark Force Defense League.  Can you tell me what the differences are between yourself, and other _Honorary Members,_ as opposed to people like Harry’s Godfather, Sirius Black, an Auror Captain and a D.F.D.L. Squad Leader?”

The class watched with universal awe at the young girl that had so politely made a public mockery of the Professor, who was now standing there with the proverbial “huh?” looked on his face as he tried to figure out if he had been insulted, and how he should reply.  He eventually decided that she hadn’t been insulting him (Of course not! He is Gilderoy Lockhart after all!) and hastily constructed a response.

“Well, Miss Davis, I don’t expect someone as young as you to understand such complicated adult matters.” He replied with a blindingly white smile, hoping that the smile that had won the _Witch Weekly Best Smile Award_ five times would distract her like it did all women.

“Try me.  Please.” She retorted adding on the ‘please’ and a hopeful smile.  Internally, she was snickering to herself gleefully.  Ever since Harry had helped her see the truth about this guy, she had been wanting to stick it to him for lying to so many people and putting them in harm’s way with his fantastical stories.  If she could discredit him at the same time, all the better.

“Oh, um, yes.  Well, Miss Davis, I am a member of the reserve as opposed to the active duty squads because the Dark Force Defense League felt that I would be of better use to the Wizarding World publishing my books and selling them so that others can learn all of the wisdom I have to teach them through the books I write." Lockhart smiled down at her, and she nodded with a bright smile back at him.  Satisfied, he turned away, missing the young girl turning to her housemates and rolling her eyes eloquently, receiving snickers and snorts from all of them.  The bell rang, and Lockhart sat on the front of his desk as the students began to pack up. "Now, class, tonight for homework, write that essay!"

The Emryys students beat a hasty retreat, eager to get out of the room before Lockhart could start giving Harry more advice on how to be famous and other such nonsense.  It still rankled all of them, especially those that grew up in the Wizarding World, that the man had referred to Harry destroying Voldemort and his parents getting murdered as "that minor Dark Lord incident" and that "It wasn't much, but it was a _good start_."

"Did you hear that useless fop? _'Felt I would be of better use to the Wizarding World publishing my books and selling them.'_ What a load of codswallop!  Sirius told me that the active duty squads know better than to believe anything that man says, they just can't prove that he is lying yet!" Harry laughed as the group of students headed towards the Transfiguration classroom.

"I know.  My Auntie told me that he is being quietly investigated by one of her best teams for criminal activities, but they aren't making much headway.  He's too famous and well-liked for them to be able to ask too many questions too often." Susan added, coming up on Harry’s free side, as Hermione had taken his left side for herself.  Daphne scowled, as she had wanted to do the same, but her annoyance faded rapidly as she gave a sigh shrug to herself.   _Even if they get together, there will be room for me. Harry has to have multiple wives according to the old laws after all.  I just have to make sure that I'm one of them.  I_ need _to be one of them._  This thought process had been thought frequently by every girl that was interested in Harry Potter for any reason.  For those that truly cared for him, it was because they couldn't imagine themselves with another man.  For everyone else, they just wanted some of his gold and glory.

Not that they would ever get it.

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

Several more days passed and the Halloween feast approached rapidly, making Harry become slightly melancholy.  While he had, by and large, gotten over his birth parents’ having died before he even met them, he still remembered this night as not a fun holiday, but the day his world was destroyed before it had truly formed.

“Harry, mind if I talked to you for a moment?” Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, asked as he floated over to Harry as he was heading towards Herbology.

“Sure, Nick, what can I do for you?” Harry replied with a smile for his incorporeal friend.  Motioning for his friends to go on without him, he and Nick exited the main flow of student traffic .

“Well, tonight is my Death-day party, and I was wondering if you would be willing to drop by, at least for a few minutes?  Most of my friends from my life decided to pass on, and it would be… somewhat more enjoyable to have someone I called friend present.” The ghost said, sounding rather awkward, and Harry blinked at him before smiling warmly.

“Sure thing, Nick.  I’ll drop by after I eat something at the feast, alright?” he responded, and Nick visibly cheered up.

“Thank you, Harry.  I appreciate it a great deal.  I’ll see you tonight, then.”

“Later, Nick.”

With that, the two parted ways, Nick to do… whatever it is that ghosts do during the school day **(A/N: Honestly, what do they actually do? Anything? Just float around?)** while Harry rushed across the grounds to arrive just in time for his class.

“Cutting it close, Harry.” Pomona Sprout, the short-statured and sweet-natured Herbology teacher that had taught Harry all he knew about plant life murmured as she held the greenhouse door open for him.

“Sorry Auntie P, Nick needed to talk to me about something quickly.” He murmured back, only loud enough for her but no one else to hear, before taking his place between Daphne and Susan.

“Now, as you’re all second years, we’re going to begin looking at more complex and dangerous plants.  Eventually, of course, you will be dealing with plants that will just as soon eat you as let you trim them, but that’s not until 5th or 6th year.”  Here several members of the class gave a great sigh of relief, making Sprout grin in amusement. “For the foreseeable future, we are going to be dealing with these.”

Sprout ordered them to put on the earmuffs before them, and then grabbed the top of the plant in a pot next to her and yanked on it sharply, revealing something that Harry and his girls, plus a few others, knew to be a Mandrake.  As far as the rest of the class knew, however, it was a very, very ugly plant-baby that appeared to be screaming at the top of its lungs via a tongueless, toothless mouth.  With dignified and controlled haste, Sprout plunked the Mandrake down in a new pot before quickly surrounding and entombing it with fresh dirt.  With a gesture, she had the class removing their earmuffs as she continued to speak.

“Now, can anyone tell me what that was?” she asked, looking around at them all, and Lilith raised her hand slowly.  Sprout smiled at the shy girl and gestured for her to speak.

“Mandrake, ma’am.  Their cry is fatal to anyone who hears it, and they’re useful in many extremely powerful healing potions, especially involving de-petrification.” The brunette replied softly, and Sprout gave her a warm smile.

“Excellent.  Perfectly put, my dear.” She complimented her, and Lilith ducked her head as her cheeks warmed from embarrassment.  Returning her attention the class at large, Sprout continued. “Now, of course, these Mandrakes are far from mature, even if Mandrakes do have a fast growth cycle, so their cries will do nothing more than cause a brutal headache or knock you out for anywhere from a few hours to a day or two.  Therefore, _keep your earmuffs on tightly._  Now, we are going to be repotting them this lesson.  Here is the proper method of doing so.  First, take the…”

An so, Harry and Company spent the next hour learning how to shift screaming, kicking, writhing, and otherwise problematic Mandrakes from pot to pot, all the while getting bitten, clawed by sharp branches, and kicked in the face.  Needless to say, the entire class was very glad indeed when Sprout told them that they would only need to repot the Mandrakes once a week, as it took them about that long to exhaust he nutrients in each pot’s soil.

“Well, that was exciting wasn’t it?” Tracey said dryly as the group of friends trudged across the grounds towards the castle, where the sacred bliss of hot showers and good food awaited to warm them, as it had started raining just before the end of their lesson, leaving them all soaked. “Any particular reason we’re dealing with Mandrakes so early?  Why are they stocking up on such powerful ingredients?”

“Probably because of the ginger idiot almost killing himself and Finnegan and putting the rest of the class at risk.  They want to have high-powered healing potions on hand incase anything else goes wrong.” Hermione reasoned, disgusted with the mere mention of the boy.  Ever since Harry had been friendly with her last year, the brat had been trying to get friendly with both herself and Katie.  No doubt hoping to copy her homework and use the pair of them to get closer to Harry.

“That makes a lot of sense, actually.  I can’t really see any other reason for them to have something so rare and so powerful here, now, and not exclusively for seventh years.” Hannah Abbot chimed in, pushing her soaked blond hair out of her eyes so that she could see the path.

Harry verbally voiced his own agreement, but internally his senses were tingling.  Something felt off about today, a feeling that reminded him off the feeling he got while training in Stealth and Infiltration with his guardians.  The feeling of being poised on the precipice, dancing on the edge of a razor with every breath.  Resolving to keep his eyes and ears open, he sent a mental caress to Nimue as they entered the castle and hurried towards their Common Room.  Nimue, sensing their discomfort, kindly arranged the shifting stairs to form the fastest route there, something that made Harry give her a much stronger mental caress, and he felt her happiness and love flow back to him, as well as her pleasure in helping him.

As always, when Harry and the girls were all taking their separate showers (Harry quietly reminding Luna that they weren’t married yet, and she couldn’t shower with him for some time, especially since she hadn’t even been outside to get cold and wet.)  Nimue stretched out her control over her ‘body’ and changed the flow of water through the showers until it came out in soothing, massaging waves instead of the normal, straight streams.

Only when Nimue began to feel sleepy did she tear her attention away from the body of her Master and future lover to direct her gaze to the Great Hall, where she saw students starting to gather.  Realizing the feast would be starting soon, she cut her control over the hot water, allowing the shower water to quickly become lukewarm, then cold, and then freezing.  Amused by the yelps and curses as her master’s future wives scrambled from the shower stalls to wrap themselves in large, fluffy towels, she ran one last scan over the entire school.  Satisfied that nothing was amiss, she allowed herself to fall asleep.

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

“Harry? Where are you going?”  Astoria asked innocently as Harry got to his feet halfway through the Halloween Feast.  Her question, and his movement, immediately drew the attention of the other Emryys students, and Harry sighed slightly at their intent looks before smiling at Astoria.

“I’m going to a friend’s Death-day party.  Nick asked me to come, since most of his deceased friends decided to pass on.  As I’m one of the few living ones, he asked me to come along as… emotional support, I guess that you could say.” He answered the younger Greengrass, who nodded at the perfectly reasonable explanation before returning to her conversation with her fellow first year Demelza Robins.  The older students, however, were not so easily satisfied.

“A Death-day party?  Really, Harry?” asked Alicia Spinnet from her place next to George Weasley, her sort-of boyfriend (both fervently denied they were involved with the other, but everyone and their mother knew that they were together) with a concerned look that was mirrored by Angelina Johnson, who was likewise beside her own twin. “Are you sure that’s entirely safe?”

“It’s a bunch of ghosts, ‘Licia.  What kind of harm could they possibly do to me?” Harry sighed, mentally adding _and I’m the Heir of Hogwarts, they can’t hurt me in these halls._

“Peeves is a ghost, technically, and he causes all kinds of harm.” Was the flat reply, and Harry chuckled nervously at his pseudo-big sister’s well-made point.  Both she and Alicia had come to regard him as a sibling, as did the Twins, and they also acted as the informal Prefects of the House until the posts were actually distributed.

“True, but he’s a _poltergeist_.  That’s different.” He defended, and the Flying Foxes (Katie Included) rolled their eyes eloquently at him.

“Fine, you can go, but I expect you to be back in the Common Room at a reasonable hour, and for Heaven’s sake, don’t get too close to any sort of ‘food’ they might have there!  God only knows what you could catch!” Angelina commanded, pointing her spoon at him threateningly, and he raised his hands in acquiescence.

“Alright Angie, no need for violence.” He grinned, before turning and heading off.  Angelina looked around the table and saw several of the girls looking after him, gnawing on their bottom lips, and she sighed gustily. “Oh, go after him, you anxious little things.”

“Thanks Angie!” was left behind with a semi-visible cloud of dust as the girls vanished after Harry, and Angelina groaned before putting her head in her hands.

“Honestly, how has he not figured them out yet?  They might as well walk around with flashing, neon yellow signs saying ‘I FANCY HARRY POTTER’.” She grumbled, and the other older students chuckled lightly.

“Look at it this way, Angelina.  At least they’re keeping the gold-digging harpies away from him.” Oliver Wood, who had elected to join the House (his reason being that if his team was going, then so was he) pointed out cheerfully as he grabbed another chicken leg and happily took a bite out of it.  The table murmured in agreement, and Angelina sighed again.

“Thank Merlin for that.” She muttered, looking towards the doors that her little brother and his ladies had gone through.  She had a bad feeling about tonight…

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

“Okay, what the fuc…” Harry started to say angrily, but Hermione clasped a hand over his mouth while every one of his ladies barked in unison.

“Harry!  Language!”

“Aye, aye!” he muttered with a mock salute and a grin, receiving a mass eye-roll in return. “I stand by what I was going to say though.  What happened here?”

The girls looked at him and at each other, no one having a clue what to say to answer him, or even begin to form an answer.  They returned their gaze to ‘here’.

Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, turned to stone with expressions of utter horror on their faces.

Harry looked around at his feet and saw that the stones were damp and slick, as though there had been a great deal of water here recently.  Crouching down, he eyed the floor carefully before running his hand over the stone and then bringing it to his nose.  He took a brief sniff and gagged, pulling out his wand with his free hand and using a powerful Cleansing Charm on himself.

“Bathroom water, from the scent.  Probably from Myrtle’s, it’s near here.  My guess is Filch was cleaning up the mess and was attacked by… something.” He said in response to the girl’s queries, his eyes flicking over their surroundings slowly and carefully as he analyzed them and catalogued anything off.

 _HARRY!_ Nimue’s mental shriek nearly defeated him, and he felt soft hands begin to check his body over for injury, making him blush faintly.   _Harry, what happened?  Are you okay?  Is that Argus?  What happened?  Well, are you going to tell me?_

 _Nimue, my love, if you were quiet for a moment then I would be able to._  Harry commented dryly, continuing to look around.   _Have a nice nap?_

 _It was fantastic, I had very sweet dreams._ Was the reply, and he got the distinct impression that Nimue was blushing heavily, making him raise his eyebrows slightly at her presence.   _And then I woke up, and I saw that you had managed to get into trouble_ again _while I was sleeping!  Honestly Harry, you need to hurry up and free me so I can catch these things!_

 _Nimue, you know damn well I can’t free you yet._ Harry sighed, running a hand over his face in exasperation and embarrassment.  Honestly, she was worse than a teenager.

 _I know, I know! I don’t have to like it though!_ She grumbled at him, crossing her arms petulantly, and he smirked at her.

_Love, I need you to check around, see if anything else is off.  Send Albus to us as well._

_Of course, Harry, but Albus should be there in moments with Sirius, Snape, Lockhart, and McGonagall._

“Hello, Professors.” Harry said aloud without turning around, and everyone but Dumbledore, Hermione, Katie, and Sirius reacted with surprise at his awareness of their presence. “I see that you too have discovered our latest hallway decorations.  Dark things are walking about.”

“How was this possible?  How could they evade those who keep watch?” Dumbledore murmured, those ‘in the know’ aware that he was referring to Nimue.

“Even those who keep watch cannot remain vigilant endlessly.  All things must rest sometime, whatever they might be.” Harry replied cryptically, and Dumbledore nodded his understanding.

“It appears to be a very good thing that we have Mandrakes ready for another Potions incident, Headmaster.  I’ll just whip together a quick Restorative Draught and we’ll be all set!” Lockhart said brightly, as though expecting everyone to agree with him.  He was swiftly proven wrong.  Thank Merlin.

“ **I** am the Potions Master of this school, and I alone will prepare that potion, which will be administered by Madam Pomfrey herself.” Snape growled lowly, glaring at the man with contempt even greater than that which he gave to Harry.

“Besides, the Mandrakes are barely more than seedlings.  It will be some weeks, even months, before they are ready to be used in such a strong potion.” McGonagall added, her mouth tight as she looked at the stone statue that had once been a colleague of hers. While they had never really gotten along (no one really got along with the man) they had a respectful or even amiable working relationship, as McGonagall didn’t abide people needlessly creating extra work for the man, something he appreciated a great deal.

“Headmaster, I recommend that we move them quickly and clean this wall up.” Harry said urgently, half-listening as Nimue spoke to him. “The students will be out of the feast in moments, and this is a main corridor.  Unless we want a mass panic, we need to move now.”

“Just so.  Minerva, Severus, please levitate our two victims to the Hospital wing, quickly.  Take the hidden passageways, I will ensure they are closed to all students.” Here the Headmaster sent a quick glance at Harry, who nodded imperceptibly.  Nimue had already done it. “Gilderoy, please return to your office quickly, I believe you have several students planning to visit.  I will deal with the wall.”

“Of course, Headmaster.  Please call if you need anything.” Lockhart gave a sparkling smile and a jaunty wave before hurrying off.

“All of you except Harry, return to Emryys immediately.  Harry will join you shortly, along with Mr. Black.” Dumbledore continued giving orders, and the girls hesitated until Harry nodded his confirmation and made shooing motions.  After they had gone, Dumbledore turned to the wall.

“Harry, how long do we have?” the aged Headmaster asked, and Nimue’s form shimmered into being beside him.

“The students are leaving now.  We have one minute and forty seconds until they will arrive here.” She answered for him, and Dumbledore nodded, drawing his wand.

“Very well.  Sirius, powerful cleaning charms on my mark.  We must remove this blemish or…” his words stopped as the writing on the wall vanished without a trace.  Both turned to look at Nimue, who smiled at them brightly.

“I am the castle, remember?  So long as Harry gives me permission, I can do anything within these halls.” She explained happily, wrapping her arms around said young man. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to get my love off to bed so he can do well in his classes tomorrow.  Goodnight!”

With that, both vanished in a shimmer, and Sirius and Dumbledore looked at each other for a long moment before beginning to laugh at the strangeness of the situation and Nimue’s attitude.

“Who knew that a 1000+ year old castle’s soul could be so… bubbly.” Sirius chortled as the pair headed for Dumbledore’s office to discuss the recent development.

“True, but who better to keep our young friend from becoming far too _serious_ for my tastes.” Dumbledore replied, eyes twinkling as Sirius stopped dead in his tracks and gapped after the Headmaster.

“Did he… just tease me with my own favorite joke?” the Grim Marauder muttered to himself in disbelief.  He shook his head before hurrying after the older man.  There was much to discuss after all.

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

“Welcome home, my daughter and great-granddaughter!” a powerful voice filled the castle throne room as Ailyn and her mother entered and knelt before the shadowed dais respectfully. “Please, rise.  Family does not bow before family!  Are you here for long?”

“Unfortunately not, great-grandfather.” Ailyn said with true regret.  She loved her grandfather very much, as he and her mother were all that were left of her family, but at the moment she had a much greater desire to find her mate. “Mother and I met our true blood-mates not too long ago near Athens, but before we could learn who they were, they left.  We’ve been searching for them ever since, but… we’ve always been too late.  We were hoping that you could help us find them.”

“Of course!  This is a most joyous occasion!  Finally, my own blood has found those with whom they can spend eternity!  Come with me, and tell me more of these mates of yours.” The owner of the powerful voice stepped off of his throne and out of the shadows as he descended the dais to his only family.  Well-trimmed and gleaming silver hair gleamed in the torchlight and bright scarlet-gold eyes smiled down warmly at the two women, who removed their cloaks.  Ailyn was gorgeous, with long silver hair down to the middle of her back and shining golden eyes peeking out from behind long bangs, while her leather armor clung tightly to her well-developed and well-muscled body, and she moved with catlike grace.

Her mother looked like an older version of her, with shorter hair and the same scarlet-gold eyes as her father.

“Well, father, both are English, with black hair.   _Mine_ has these amazingly bright jade eyes, while _mom’s_ has plain old black.  Also…”

The trio walked deeper into the depths of the castle, their laughter and talk echoing from the castle to the forest around it and from there to a barren plain covered with long wooden stakes, pointed ends piercing the sky as the crows circled around them or perched upon their points.

**_ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ HP&THOJ _ **

A/N: This, this chapters power….ITS OVER 9,000! LOL! I never actually saw that anime, nor want to, but that is a rather popular phrase. Anyway, here is the newest chapter for you. I’m sorry it is so late, but at least it isn’t short! Please, feel free to add any corrections needed in your reviews. So, REMEMBER TO REVIEW!

Also, have any of you figured out who our lovely mystery ladies are? Who their great-grandfather is? The last paragraph is a fantastic hint, if I do say so myself.


	13. Secrets, Secrets, Secrets

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Harry Potter and the Hand of Judgement

Chapter Thirteen

Secrets, Secrets, Secrets

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"Truly, your mates are amusing!" Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia and Lord of House Draculesti, more commonly referred to by the masses of the modern world as Count Dracula, guffawed mightily as his eyes shone with amusement. He and the two women had adjourned to his private rooms, and were now seated comfortably in plush and ornately decorated chairs in front of a magnificent, roaring fireplace, drinking goblets of blood and eating fine food. The pair of women had just finished regaling him with the tale of how they had met the men they hoped to spend eternity with, and he found the entire bungled situation far more amusing than most would think such an ancient and nobly-born being would.

"Thank you ever so, Father." Ailyn's mother, Artemis, responded with a smile of equal amusement. Though she was biologically the ancient vampire's _granddaughter,_ her mother, father, and three siblings had all perished in battle when she was little more than a child, defending their ancestral homeland from a Dire Kind assault. So, Vlad had raised his sole remaining blood-relative with his own two hands, and been her Father ever since.

When Ailyn had been born, the old prince's joy became utterly boundless, and he had lavishes the child with everything she could desire, naming her his heir to the throne of vampires, and that off the massive organization he controlled from the shadows, a financial empire that could topple nations.

Tragedy had struck their family once more several years later, as Ailyn's father had turned traitor, attempting to slaughter Vlad and his supporters in the dark of night. His hope had been to leave evidence of another Dire Kind attack, and with the Prince and High Council slain, he would have nominally controlled all of those mighty assets as his daughter's Regent, and so had spent over a decade gathering support and subverting guards.

However, when the night of his attempt arrived, and his supporters stormed towards the wing that the ancient lived within, they found themselves met by the sight of the traitors amongst the guard, laying strewn about the hall, though there was no blood. Amongst them, her back to the approaching group, stood his thirteen-year-old daughter, head down at a slight angle. Her loose, finely made black silk clothing was as spotless as the floor, the only blood in the entire hallway were a few flecks on her hands and face, neither of which was hers. In her right hand, tip diagonal to the ground, she held lethal, gleaming length of the _kilji_ that had been specially forged for her when she reached the age to begin training.

When she had refused to step aside, her father sent forward men to subdue her so her could proceed.

Each fell to her blade as she danced around them with skill and power that belied her age and the amount of training she had received thus far. As their corpses struck the floor, blood painting the stone of the floor and walls like an abattoir, the impassive girl had turned to face the rest of the group fully, raising her head to reveal her eyes from beneath her silver bangs.

The group took a collective step back, as her normally golden eyes were a blazing, molten red, her pupils slitted like a serpent and rimmed in gold. As she bared her fangs and hissed at them lowly, the blood of her most recent victims lifted into the air, transforming into a fine scarlet mists that swirled around the young vampiress before flowing into her body, sinking into her skin, and her eyes shone even brighter. She blurred into motion, and the cleansing of the hall began anew. Though her father and his band of turncoats tried to fight with magic and blade, they quickly fell to her immense power, every drop of blood shed absorbed by the young immortal.

" _Vér Vonalzó..."_ in his last breath, her father indentified her as the most legendary and ancient kind of vampire, of whom there had not been one in millenia. Literally 'Blood Ruler', though more often transliterated as "Blood Emperor/Empress", they commanded blood itself, able to wield any of the liquid of life in their vicinity at will, either to heal or to harm. Stories even abounded of the ancients causing the blood of their enemies to slay them from within.

"And you've been trying to find them ever since?" the ancient continued, and the two women nodded, both looking somewhat downtrodden, and his enthusiasim faded at the sight. "Ah, my dearest kin, do not despair so easily. Patience is the great gift of our kind. Besides, you have come to me have you not? I can tell you already that I know whom it is you seek, for several of my contacts have been tracking them."

"Tracking them, Father? Even before knowing whom they were to Ailyn and myself?" Artemis asked, eyes widening in suprise as she looked at him, and he gave her what many would call a smirk, though naturally such an expression was _far_ below a man of his wisdom and station.

"My dearest daughter, you are not one to pay much attention to the news of the mortals in the either the human world or the wizard one, are you? Nor you, Ailyn." he was clearly highly amused by the ignorance of the pair, and they knew it too, resulting in a pair of glowers and twin huffs of annoyance from the two women. Clasping his hands over his heart dramatically, he continued. "Ah, such a look for your poor, old, ancestor. How the pain overwhelms my old heart!"

"I weep for your suffering, Great-Grandfather." Ailyn said dryly, waving her hand slighlty in a 'get on with it' motion, and he laughed again before sobering.

"Oh, how I've missed the two of you. No one else has the courage to argue or jest with me." He said fondly before adressing Artemis again. "Your mates, Artemis, are powerful and famous men to the mortals. Both of them are noble lords to wizard and human alike, with political power enough to control England entirely if they so desired. Perhaps you will recognize the names Sirius Black and Harry Potter?"

Both women reared back, eyes widening and mouths dropping open slightly in a rather unladylike display of bafflement and suprise, sending the ancient into another fit of laughter.

"But they looked nothing like their pictures!" Artemis protested immediatly, and Vlad levelled an amused look at her.

"Come now, surely you have not forgotten that wizards have a penchant and fondness for glamouring themselves! Should it be so shocking that two such high-profile individuals would do the same whilst traipsing about the continent?" he chastised her, and she flushed slightly, for in hindsite it was supremely obvious that they would do just that. "Irregardless of them fooling you and the rest of the world, my people knew who they were and have been watching them from the moment they left the Black home in London, until the moment they returned."

"Do we have your leave to go to them then, Great-Grandfather?" Ailyn said eagerly, almost bouncing in her seat, but her excitement was quelled by the patriarch levelling a serious look at her.

"I am...unsure. As much as I desire to let you go to them, even to go and meet them myself (which will certaintly happen before I allow them to court you, my daughters, True Mates or not!) the current plotical atmosphere in England for those not of "Pureblood" descent is...problematic, to say the least. It is far worse for those of us that the bigots call 'subhuman' or 'half-breed'. I am afraid that allowing you to go to them, which by necessity would mean exposing you to immense attention, would be far from the romantic bliss-state you might fuind yourselves dreaming of."

"So be it, Great-Grandfather. The only opinion that will matter to me are those of my family, my mate, and those my mate calls kin. What care do I have for the ignorant bleating of the masses, who know nothing more than what they are taught by old men who are so set in their ways that they cannot see beyond themselves?" Ailyn declared firmly, head held proudly high, and her moth nodded in agreement beside her.

"Very well, I know you will not heed any command to do otherwise, nor would I be so cruel as to give one." Vlad sighed, shaking his head in fond resignation, a wry smile on his face. "Indeed, I find myself entirely unsuprised by your instragience on this matter. It was much same for me when I found my beloved, may God keep her."

"So we may go to England?" Artemis sought confirmation as eagerly as her daughter had asked permission, and the ancient sighed tiredly.

"You may, but I am sending several guards along with you. I've no doubt that either one of you could handle any number of bigoted idiots, never mind the pair of you together, but it will give this old man some peace of mind." He agreed, his tone making clear that argument on this ubject would not be tolerated, and both women wisely kept their protests to themselves. Humming in satisfaction, the patriarch clapped his hand in satisfaction and got to his feet. "Come, let us rest and rejuvinate ourselves, and leave further plotting for the morrow, hmm?"

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"If I may have your attention please, students?" Dumbledore's voice cut through general hubbub of breakfast, suprising the more experienced students. The Headmaster usually saved any announcements for dinner, in order to address anything that might have occured over the course of the day. Which meant whatever he wanted to talk about had to have happened after dinner the night before, else he would have mentioned it then. The room quited quickly, far faster than most would expect of a school of teens, as the older students impressed the probable importance of this even to their younger peers.

"Now, some of you may have noticed that our dear Caretaker, Mr. Filch, and his beloved companion, Mrs. Norris, are not attending to their duties." He pointedly ignored the fairly pleased mutterings that rippled through the room, well aware of how the student body felt about the rather mis-understood man. "Unfortunatly, we have reason to believe that he was attacked..."

This time he had to fall silent as fearful mutterings erupted throughout the hall, several questiosn being shouted at the Head Table, and he held his hand up commandingly. Silence fell once more as his presence expanded to radiate throughout the hall.

"At this time, it is unknown if it was a prank gone wrong, a potions accident, or something of a far more sinister nature. Naturally we all hope it was nothing dangerous, but for the time being we will act under the assumption that it was. I ask that all older students help in keeping an eye on the younger and less experienced students, _regardless of House_ , while we of the staff will investigate what has occured."

He swept the room with his eyes before nodding in satisfaction.

"Excellant. Now, on to better news, the Quidditch Captains of all five Houses have submitted to me their tryout dates. As today begins the weekend, they have together seemed to agree that it would be best to start them next week. As such, Ravenclaw will have the pitch on Monday, Hufflepuff on Tuesday, Slytherin on Wednesday, Gryffindor on Thursday, and Emryys on Friday. Your Quidditch Captains will be posting more detailed instructions and information on your House Notice Boards by tonight, so please do keep your eyes open for them. You're dismissed to classes for the day."

With that, the aged wizard turned his attention to his colleagues, likely discussing something in relation to the day's imminent instruction.

"Fascinating. I was unsure that the old one would be so upfront about the nasty one's fate. It will be fascinating to see how all of this pans out." Samara mused, a small smile creasing the val'kyr's lips as Harry's group of second-year Emrrys students joined the massive swarm of humanity that was trying to leave the Great Hall simultaneously.

"I admit I am somewhat suprised. While I thought Albus would not lie to the students outright, I did not think that he would be so...forthright with the information that the staff currently has." Harry admitted. He, personally, would have expected something along the lines of "Mr. Filch has taken ill" for an explanation into the caretaker's abrupt disappearance. It would have been both technically truthful and passive enough to not cause alarm, which was potentially more dangerous than whatever had turned the cantankerous old man to stone.

"Mhm, I honestly didn't expect that, but perhaps he already has an idea of what the threat might be? I mean, he is one of the oldest and most experienced wizards alive, and certaintly one of the most well-read. I imagine that, given how few creatures, potions, or spells exist that can turn a person compleatly to stone, the list of potential culprits is a very short one indeed." Daphne commented absently as they began to ascend the stairs towards the third floor classroom where their first period Charms class was being held. 'What do you think, Harry?"

"Hmmm..." was all Harry said, a noncommital hum that remained his only answer for the rest of classes that day, no matter how or by whom he was pressed. Even the older Emrrys students could not get a response from the suddenly reticent Potter, something that suprised all who knew him. Harry was not one for keeping secrets, they knew. He was firmly of the belief that for one to recieve trust, they first had to give it.

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Hours later, as the House was once more gathered around the large, roaring fire that dominated the center of their Common Room. Harry and his group of companions further dominated half of the circle, leaving the rest of the room to their Housemates.

"So, are you going to tell us what you were thinking earlier, Harry?" Luna prodded, giving him a meaningful look, and he grimaced slightly. He hadn't intended to say anything for some time yet, gather some more information, but it seemed that Luna felt he needed to talk _now_. Given her gift and foreknowledge on other events both past and future, he was inclined to believe that she had the right of it.

"Simply put, the list is far shorter than you think it is. In fact, there is only one thing on it." He started slowly, and Fred laughed.

"well, that's good!" he said cheerfully, before noticing that no one else looked to overwhelmingly thrilled. Looking around the room, he persisted. "Hey, it is good, right? I mean, if there is only one thing on the list, than that means we can tell the teachers what the threat is, nad they can handle it. Life goes on as usual, yes?"

"Not quite so simply as you might wish, Fred." Harry grimaced again before continuing. "Let me walk you through it. Does anyone know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

'Yes." Came the answer from every former Slytherin and Ravenclaw in the room, along with (unsuprisingly) Hermione.

"Well, as those of you who were with me know, behind Argus there was a message on the wall, one written in blood. It was removed before the students could see it, but it said 'The Chamber has opened once again. Enemies of the Heir beware.'" He looked around the room before pointing at Daphne. "Daphne, why don't you tell us about the Chamber?"

"Well, rumor has it that each of the Founders had their own, personal spaces inside of the castle. Places just for themselves, a private retreat within Hogwarts as it were. Rowena Ravenclaw had a self-updating library with every book ever written, Godric Gryffindor had a combat arena and armory, Helga Hufflepuff had a massive garden, and Salazar Slytherin had hsi Chamber of Secrets, which is said to be deep within the castle and hold alchemical and potion-brewing secrets long forgotten. Each was said to have their own guardian or guardians dedicated to these retreats and the school itself, and Salazar's was supposed to be the most dangerous of them all."

"If only I could give points. Well put." Harry smiled at the girl, who blushed prettily at his praise and attention. Returnign his atention to the room at large, Harry continued. "So, the Chamber of Secrets belongs to Salazar Slytherin. Dear Mr. Filch was turned to stone, and the symbol of House Slytherin is...?"

"A snake. God help us, you think that his guardian was a basilisk, don't you?" Samara was the one who provided the answer, and Harry pointed to her with a grim smile and a nod.

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" he said with faux-cheer, leaning back in his seat. "I'm sad to say that it is highly likely that the Slytherin Guardian is indeed a basilisk. With Slytherin's affinity for snakes and alchemy, as well as Argus being turned to stone...besides, a Basilisk would make an overwhelmingly powerful protector for the school. Essentially unkillable and ageless, it would undoutably make short work of anyone foolish enough to attack the school."

"So, we tell the staff and have them put roosters around the school!" Angelina spoke up, but Harry shook his in the negative. "Why the hell not?"

"I could of course be wrong, but I am willing to bet that a mage as powerful and learned in the arts of potions and alchemy as Slytherin would find a way to negate or at least lessen the effects of a rooster's crow on the guardian. Wouldn't be much of a guardian if a single damn bird can kill it."

Discontented mutterings met this statement, but for all their displeasure, his housemates could not deny the truth in his words. Harry, meanwhile, was silently plotting with Nimue.

_ Nimue, once the others are in bed and asleep, I need you to move Samara and I to the Mausoleam. I need to talk to the Founders about this. _

_ Of course, Harry. I confess, I am disappointed I didn't realize this sooner. _

_ Why  _ didn't _you realize what it was sooner?_

_ Unfortunatly, it is something of a loophole, a breech in the ward matrixes I was 'programmed' with. It is a part of the defenses, so it doesn't register as a foreign object or a threat. However, it is also not a part of Hogwarts directly, like the wards and statues, and so is not connected to me. All I could ever pick up was the residue of it's aura, which must be those dark blips I told you about. _

_ A loophole and a breech indeed. One that will need to be plugged sooner rather than later. _

"So, what do we do then? If we tell Susan's aunt, then she and the Aurors can..." Alicia started, but Samara spoke up again, shaking her head in denial.

"This basilisk is likely over a thousand years old. It is unlikely that it could be defeated by regular humans, even less likely within these halls. Never mind the fact that none of us have any idea whatsoever where its lair, this 'Chamber of Secrets', nor how to reach it even if we did." The Val'kyr said forbiddingly, not stating that even a thousand year old basilisk was a paltry foe compared to her own overwhelming power. After all, explaining that Harry had an immortal warrior-maiden, one of a race that were once thought to be lesser gods in the service of the All-Father, would be somewhat...awkward. Not to mention it would cause her Master no end of problems, problems she was not interested in having him suffer through. Ignoring the odd looks and discontented mutterings at her words, she continued. "There is no further purpose in this discussion, and so I suggest that everyone goes to bed and rests themselves for the morrow."

With a swirl of golden hair, the disguised Chooser of the Slain strode from the room, heading for the girl's wing. Bit by bit, the other students dispersed. Harry bid each of his friends goodnight, seeing them each off with a hug and well-wishes.

Fifteen minutes later, Samara reappeared in the common room, moving as silently as a shadow, and took Harry by the hand. A moment later, they shimmered out of view as Nimue whisked them away to the Mausoleum.

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End file.
